Dr. Teresa King stormed down the hall and burst into an office. The man who occupied the office looked at her then back at the young woman he was talking to.

"Make sure you let me know the minute those results are in," he said.

"Yes, Doctor," she said and walked out of the office.

"Teresa, what's going on?" he asked. "You look. . ."

"Paul, do you know anything about this?" she interrupted him throwing a letter on his desk.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, picking up the letter.

"Someone's trying to blackmail me," she told him.

"You're kidding?" he asked, surprised.

"No, I'm not kidding," she told him.

"So why come to me about it?" he asked her.

"Because what they're blackmailing me over, only two people know about," she answered.

"Are you suggesting I had something to do with this?"

"You better hope you're not involved," she warned.

She grabbed the letter. She stomped over to the door and opened it. "Because if I find out you've stabbed me in the back, you'll find a knife in your own!" She turned and stormed out of the office, going past the receptionist that had heard everything.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now this is living."

The young man who made that statement was sitting on a towel on a beach in California. His compact body was covered in suntan lotion as the afternoon sun highlighted his long hair with red and gold.

Blair Sandburg, ABD, anthropology grad student flopped back on the towel he was sitting on. He closed his eyes and wondered just how long he could stay like this.

A shadow fell over him. "Do you plan on actually getting in the water today, Sandburg?"

Blair opened one eye and looked at the shadow maker. It took everything he had inside not to lick his lips. Standing over him was one James Ellison.

Police detective.

Former Army Ranger.

Ex-covert ops.

Sentinel.

Unrequited love interest.

Blair turned onto his stomach to hide his growing erection. He closed his eyes, not needing to look at Jim to know what he looked like. Brown hair cut short, although he'd let it grow out a little. Blue eyes that could range from the ice blue of hate to the deep blue of passion.

He worked out two or three times a week and it showed. His body was very well defined. His hairless chest glistened from the water and the red and black speedo he was wearing left very little to the imagination.

Blair's imagination had given him more than one night time fantasy but that was all it would ever be. The dynamics they had as partners and Sentinel/Guide was too important to mess up if the relationship went wrong. Jim was probably straight and even if he wasn't, Blair wasn't willing to risk what they had. At times like this, though, it was hard to remember that reasoning.

"I'll get in later, man," Blair finally said. "Right now, I just want to unwind."

"All right," Jim said. "Just be careful about the sun."

"Yes, mother," Blair smirked.

"Smart ass," Jim chuckled as he headed for the water.

A couple of miles down the beach, the houses started. Sitting on the deck, Dr. Mark Slogan and Dr. Amanda Livingston watched two men on the beach. The younger one, Dr. Jesse Travis was sitting on the rocks. The other man, Det. Steve Sloan, was Mark's son and just coming out of the water.

Jesse was resident at Community General Hospital where Dr. Sloan was chief of internal medicine and Dr. Livingston was one of their top pathologists. At five feet ten, with sandy brown hair and brown eyes. Jesse looked barely out of his teens, especially with his youthful and expressive face.

At the moment, that face was lost in thought. He didn't notice Steve walk up to him and jumped a mile when the detective touched his shoulder.

"Damn, Steve, give me a heart attack, will ya!" Jesse exclaimed, clutching his chest.

"Sorry," Steve said. "Aside from the heart attack is there anything wrong? You seemed pretty lost in your thoughts."

"Nothing really," Jesse shrugged. "Just your basic nature of the universe stuff."

"Oh, simple stuff," Steve smiled.

"Yeah," Jesse said. He sighed. "Guess I better be heading back. I'm on duty in an hour." They headed to Mark's house. Steve lived in the apartment over his father's house.

"Thanks for lunch, Mark," Jesse said as they walked onto the deck of the house. "I've got to get going. I'm on duty soon and I still need to change."

"You can use my shower if you want," Steve suggested. "It'll save you a little time."

"You sure?" Jesse asked.

"No problem," Steve smiled.

"Okay," Jesse nodded. "I'll get my stuff out of the car." He headed for the front of the house and his car.

When he was gone, Mark looked at the other two. "All right," he said, "what is bothering Jesse?"

"I asked him what he was thinking about earlier," Steve said. "He said it was your basic nature of the universe stuff."

"What does that mean?" Mark asked.

"Beats me," Steve shrugged.

"Amanda, has he said anything to you?" Mark asked.

"It may have something to do with his love life," Amanda said, not really answering his question. "His last date with his latest girl friend only lasted about an hour. . .so he said."

"Well, I'm sure if he wants our help, he'll ask," Mark said.

"I've got to run as well," Amanda said, looking at her watch. "I've got to pick up C.J. in an hour."

"I thought it was Daddy's week," Steve said.

"Daddy went TDY," Amanda explained. "No Daddy visits for a while. See you at the hospital tomorrow." She got up and headed for the car.

As she headed for C.J.'s day care, Amanda was lost in thought. She knew what was wrong with Jesse but it wasn't her place to say. He had come to her in confidence and as much as she teased him, she wouldn't betray that trust. He had thrown her for a loop, though.

"Amanda, what would you say if I told you I thought I was gay," Jesse had said, "or at least bi-sexual?"

She'd stared at him for a full minute before saying anything. "You think?" she asked finally. "You mean you're not sure."

"For as long as I can remember, it was guys that did it for me, you know," he said. "I date women because that's what everyone expects. I've dated guys as well but not for a while. I've been able to ignore it for the past few years, push the feelings away. I can't do that anymore."

"Have you talked to anyone about this?" she asked.

"I don't know who to talk with," he sighed. "I have gay friends but none I would feel comfortable enough to talk to about this."

"I'm sure there are plenty of services out there," she assured him. "I'll do some checking."

"Thanks, Amanda," he smiled. "I really appreciate this."

"What are friends for?"

She found him a gay social services group. One of the things they did was help people who were confused about their sexual orientation. Hopefully, they would be able to help him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Jim, I'm all right," Blair protested.
"Sandburg, if you were all right you would be walking," Jim said, "not being wheeled into an emergency room."

"It's just a sprain, man," Blair told him.

"I thought you were getting a Ph.D. not a M.D.," Jim retorted.

"You're a laugh riot."

An hour later, Blair was on a bed in an examination room. He'd been to x-ray already and was waiting for the doctor. Jim was sitting next to the bed. The door finally opened and Jesse walked in.

"Hello," he said. "My name is Dr. Travis and I'll be your tour guide this evening." He pulled the x-rays out of the folder and put them on the viewer. "Well, Mr. Sandburg, there's no break but from the look of things, it is a severe sprain."

"Told you," Blair smirked.

"You were hurt playing volleyball?" Jesse asked.

"Not exactly," Blair blushed.

"He was watching these girls play volleyball," Jim chuckled. "He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ran into this guy. When he tried to avoid knocking the guy down, he stepped in a hole and down he went."

"Well, I've heard stranger," Jesse shrugged.

"What I'm going to do is keep you overnight so some of the swelling can go down then we'll wrap it with a half cast."

"That bad?" Blair asked.

"From what I can see, you came pretty close to tearing a ligament or two," Jesse pointed out. "Until it heals some, that's still a possibility. We get it done right the first time, we don't have to do it again later."

"There's no such thing," Blair mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Jesse said.

"Nothing," Blair said.

"I'll get everything started," Jesse continued. "They'll be in shortly to move you to your room."

"And I'll get started on the paperwork, Chief," Jim said, patting his arm. "You'll probably be in your room by the time I'm through."

"I'll probably be discharged by the time you're through," Blair chuckled.

The door opened again and an older man walked in. "How's it going, Jesse?" he asked.

"Just finishing up," Jesse told him.

"I'm Dr. Mark Sloan," the older man said, introducing himself.

"Blair Sandburg."

"Jim Ellison." He shook his head. "Hell of a way to start a vacation."

"By this time tomorrow, you'll be out and about," Mark said, looking at the x-rays.

"On crutches," Blair groaned.

"I think a cane will do," Jesse smiled, "just as long as you don't do Disneyland.

"Wasn't on the agenda," Jim chuckled. "Chief, I'm gonna get started on the paperwork. I'll see you in your room when I get through."

"All right, Big Guy."

The paper work took almost an hour. Jim had done it often enough that he know most of the answers by heart. He did keep a list of Blair's pertinent medical information in his wallet for cases just like this.

Just as Jim was walking out of the office, he bumped into someone walking by. "Excuse me," Jim said.

"No problem," the mans said. "I wasn't paying at...." The man stopped and looked at him. "Jim?" he asked. "Jim Ellison?"

Jim took a good look at the man. "Steve Sloan," he grinned. "How the hell are you?"

"Doing great," Steve smiled. "What brings you to Community General?"

"A friend of mine tore up his ankle," Jim explained.

"You still in the Army?" Steve asked.

Jim shook his head. "A detective with the Cascade Police Department," he said. "You still driving a squad car?"

"Homicide detective," Steve told him.

"What brings you to the hospital?" Jim asked.

"My dad's on staff here," Steve explained.

"I'm heading to see Blair," Jim said.

"Blair?"

"My roommate and the guy who tore up his ankle," Jim told him.

"Your roommate?" Steve asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"We're just friends," Jim glared playfully. "Come on. I'll introduce you." They headed for the elevator and got on. Thankfully, they were alone.

"You still playing both sides of the fence?" Steve asked.

"Haven't played either side for a while," Jim shrugged. "I was married for a while but it didn't last. What about you?"

"I date for appearances," Steve admitted. "I was with someone for a while three years ago but he got transferred across the country."

"I still think about our time together," Jim said quietly. "Those were some wonderful weeks we had."

"Yes, they were," Steve said, "but you and I both knew it couldn't last."

"Yeah," Jim sighed. He chuckled. "We did have some fun."

"That we did," Steve agreed, "that we did."

The doors opened and they walked off the elevator. They chatted as they walked down the hall. They found Blair's room and went inside.

Blair looked up as the two men walked in. "Another doctor?" he asked with a sigh.

"Not a chance," Jim chuckled. "Blair Sandburg, this is Det. Steve Sloan, an old friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, Detective," Blair smiled.

"Nice to meet you, too," Steve said, "and it's Steve."

"Blair." He looked at his roommate. "Jim, please tell me you don't plan on staying here until I'm released."

"What? Don't you want the pleasure of my company?" Jim asked, feigning hurt.

"If you stay here, you'll be a bear for the rest of the vacation," Blair said.

"Why don't you let me cook dinner for you?" Steve suggested. "We can play catch up."

"All right," Jim acquiesced. He looked at Blair. "You sure about this?"

"Very sure," Blair said.

"Tell you what," Jim said. "I'll go out to the car and get your backpack. After that, Steve and I can head out."

"Sounds good to me," Blair said with a smile.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Jim said and left the room. That left Steve and Blair alone.

"Jim tells me your roommates," Steve said.

"Yeah," Blair smiled. "When my place blew up, he offered me a place to stay until I could find another. That was over two years ago."

"You a cop?"

"Anthropologist," Blair told him. "I'm studying closed societies at the police department. They put me with Jim. I've managed to help them out on a few cases so they keep me around." He looked at Steve. "How did you meet Jim?"

"We were in a bar, moaning over our love lives," Steve chuckled, "or lack thereof. We started talking and found out that we had a lot in common."

What Steve hadn't said was that it was a gay bar. Steve was just out of a relationship, Jim was on leave and they were both cruising. He also didn't say how he and Jim spent Jim's leave mostly in bed fucking each other's brains out.

"It had to be the surfing," Blair chuckled.

"Among other things." Blair gave him a questioning look but didn't say anything.

Steve and Blair were still talking when Jim got back with Blair's backpack. "Telling tales out of school?" he asked.

"Steve won't tell me any of the good stuff," Blair pouted. "He said something about a policeman's code of honor or some such nonsense."

"Here's your backpack," Jim said, setting it on the bed. "Your computer is in there, too."

"Great," Blair smiled.

Steve pulled out one of his cards and wrote his home number on it. "Here's my phone number," he said. "If it gets too late...."

"Or we drink too much," Jim put in.

"Or we drink too much," Steve continued, "Jim can sack out on my couch."

"Works for me," Blair said. "You two have fun."

"Oh, we will," Steve grinned. Jim just shook his head as he and Steve walked out of Blair's room.

Dr. Paul Katz was sitting at his desk when his door flew open, striking the wall. He looked up just as Teresa King stormed in. He tossed his pen on the desk and leaned back in his chair as she walked up to his desk.

"This is becoming a habit, Teresa," he sighed.

"You son of a bitch!" she growled. "You are the one blackmailing me."

"Such harsh words from such a beautiful face," he smiled.

"Why?" she asked. "Why are you doing this?"

"If you're so sure I'm blackmailing you, why don't you go to the police?" he asked. "Could it be because there is no statute of limitations on murder?"

"I didn't kill anyone and you know it."

"That's not for me to decide," he smiled, "but the merest hint of scandal could ruin your precious career."

"I wish I'd never gotten involved with you," she swore.

He got up and walked over to a cabinet. Opening it, he pulled out a bottle and poured a shot. "Care to join me?" he asked. He downed the drink.

"I hope you burn in hell," she spat.

"I probably will," he said, pouring another shot.

Teresa leaned back against the desk. As she did, her hand rested on a statue there. Paul kept his back to her as he started speaking again.

"You know, Teresa, it's not as if this blackmailer is asking for a lot," he said with a sigh, "just half your interest in the clinic. A small price to pay to keep your good name, I would think."

He started to turn around. Just as he did, the base of the statue that was on his desk struck him on the left side of his head. He collapsed on the floor unconscious.

Teresa dropped the statue on the floor with a small cry. Kneeling next to him, she felt for a pulse. She sighed with relief when she found it. She got up and hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She didn't want to be there when he woke up.

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Blair was working on his laptop when the door to his room opened and Jesse walked in. "How's the ankle, Mr. Sandburg?" he asked.
"It's felt better and it's Blair," he said. "I get nervous when anyone but my students call me Mr. Sandburg."

"What do you teach?"

"Anthropology," Blair said. "I'm working on my Ph.D."

"Sounds interesting," Jesse said wryly.

Blair chuckled. "It has its moments."

"You send your friend back to the hotel?" Jesse asked.

"Nah," Blair told him. "He ran into an old friend who's also a cop. They decided to go out and trade war stories."

"'Where two or more are gathered'," Jesse quoted.

"Exactly."

"I've left orders for a pain killer if you need it," Jesse explained. "It'll take the edge off the pain and let you get some sleep."

"Thanks, Doctor."

"Jesse." The two men smiled at each other then Jesse patted Blair's arm. "I'll see you in the morning."

"So what's for dinner?" Jim asked. He and Steve were in Steve's car heading for his house.

"Steak, char-grilled veggies," Steve smiled.

"Sounds good," Jim told him.

"I think you'll enjoy it."

While the coals heated, Steve opened a bottle and they had a couple of glasses while they fixed dinner. It was as if they hadn't been apart for several years.

The two men talked and laughed their way through dinner. They finished the first bottle of wine and started on another. They were comfortable in each other's presence. It felt nice not to have to lie to someone.

"Steve, that was delicious," Jim said when the meal was over.

"Thank you, thank you," Steve said with a feigned air of nonchalance. "It was nothing, really."

"Your cooking has improved," Jim deadpanned. "It's actually edible now."

"Very funny," Steve smiled. "Why don't you go on out to the deck while I clean up?"

"I can give you hand," Jim said.

"It won't take long," Steve said. "Dishes in the sink, food in the fridge."

"Some things never change."

"Out," Steve said. He filled Jim's wine glass then picked up the dirty dishes.

Jim stood at the railing watching the sun set over the ocean. He'd just taken a sip of wine when he heard Steve come outside. An arm slipped around Jim's waist as a kiss fell on his temple.

Steve's build was sleeker than Jim's although both men worked out frequently. Steve was at least three inches taller than Jim. Steve was also younger than Jim but only by a couple of years.

"You always did like the sunset," Steve said quietly.

"Still do," Jim told him. "The company makes it even better."

"Flattery will get you anything you want." Steve smiled. Jim moaned when Steve began kissing his neck. "Are you still as sensitive as you used to be?" Steve asked.

Jim gasped as Steve rubbed his hand across his nipple. "More so," Jim managed. "Det. Sloan, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working?" Steve asked. He ran a hand across the bulge in Jim's jeans. "Yeah, I'd say it was."

"On both of us," Jim said as he pushed his ass against Steve.

"Finish your wine," Steve ordered. "It's the only non-protein drink you're going to get for a while."

"I thought I was sleeping on the couch," Jim smiled as he drank his wine.

"Not in this lifetime."

Steve pulled Jim into his arms and kissed him. Jim's mouth opened to admit Steve's tongue. When they broke apart both men were breathless. Steve took Jim's hand and led him into the house.

By the time they reached the bedroom, both men were nude, hot and erect. Both men had hairless chests with satin skin over steel muscles. They spent a few minutes lost in the feel of each other, reacquainting themselves. It wouldn't take long to remember those nights from years past.

Steve pushed Jim onto the bed. "I don't remember you being this aggressive," Jim observed.

"With age comes aggression," Steve said huskily as he crawled over Jim.

"I thought that was wisdom," Jim said. He moaned and grabbed Steve's head when he locked onto his nipple. He pulled Steve's face up to his.

"Whatever," Steve growled and dove in for a kiss.

As they kissed they began to move against each other. Their mouths moved apart when the need for oxygen was to great. They grabbed each other's hands and held tightly as their hips thrust against one another.

Steve thrust hard against Jim and screamed his name as a warmth flowed between them. Jim was right behind him. he threw his head back, shouting as his orgasm washed over him. Steve collapsed on top of Jim and Jim wrapped his arms around him as they waited for their breathing to return to normal.

"Wow," Jim finally managed to say.

"Yeah," Steve agreed. "It's been awhile since I've been that hot."

"Me too."

Steve rested his hand on Jim's chest then placed his chin on it so he could look at him. He didn't say anything.

"What?" Jim finally asked.

"Are you in love with him?" Steve asked.

"With who?" Jim asked, although he had a feeling he knew who Steve was asking about."

"That gorgeous roommate of yours," Steve informed him.

"Blair?" Steve nodded. "I don't know," Jim shrugged, "but it doesn't matter." He brushed Steve's sandy brown hair out of his eyes.

"Why not?"

Jim rolled them over until he was on top. "Right now, you're the only person I want to think about," he grinned. "Don't you know it's bad manners to talk about one man when you're in bed with another man?"

"Pardon my faux pas," Steve said, airily. "What was I thinking?"

"I know what you should be thinking about," Jim whispered, leaning over to Steve's ear and kissing it.

"And what would that be?' Steve asked. A shudder ran through him as Jim licked his ear.

"What I'm going to do to you when I get my mouth on your cock.." Jim chuckled as he felt Steve's cock twitch in response.

Jim began to kiss his way down Steve's body. By the time Jim made it to his stomach and began to lick their cum, Steve was hard again. Just as Jim placed a kiss on the head of Steve's cock, he found himself on his back and Steve was licking him clean.

Jim pulled Steve's hips to him and buried his face in his groin, kissing around the hard cock that was beginning to leak. They took it slow, wanting it to last. Unconsciously, both men probably realized this would be their last time together.

It seemed like hours before their orgasms happened. This time, it was more like a sigh than a shout. When it was over, Steven turned around and they lay in each other's arms. After a few minutes, Steve pulled the sheet over them and they drifted off to sleep.

When Victoria Newton walked into the clinic, the next morning, she saw Dr. Paula Simmons, another doctor at the clinic, talking to one of the nurses. The doctor motioned her over as the nurse left.

"Victoria, were you the last one to leave yesterday?" Paula asked.

"No, Doctor, I wasn't," Victoria told her. "Why?"

"Because when I came in this morning, all the lights were on and the employee door was opened," Paula said.

"Dr. Katz and Dr. Miller were still here when I left at six," Victoria said. "Was anyone else here when you arrived?"

"All the offices are locked and there's no sign of anything missing," Paula said.

"One of them probably left in such a hurry, they just forgot to lock up," Victoria shrugged.

"You're probably right," Paula agreed.

Just then, Paula's pager went off. She pulled it out and looked at it. "It's the hospital," she said. "I've got to go over there anyway. Check with Dr. Katz and Dr. Miller and see who left last night."

"Will do," Victoria said as the doctor left.

The doctor was just out the door when a FedEx driver walked in. "May I help you?" Victoria asked.

"I'm supposed to pick up a package from a Dr. Katz," the driver said, checking his clipboard.

"It must be in his office," Victoria said. "I'll get it." She pulled a key ring out of a desk draw r and walked down the hall to Dr. Katz's office.

The driver was leaning against the receptionist's desk when he heard a scream coming from the direction Victoria had gone. He hurried down the hall and saw her standing in the doorway.

On the floor was the body of Dr. Paul Katz.

Jim was asleep... at least he thought he was asleep. He wasn't sure if the kisses he was feeling were part of a dream or real. He finally decided to open his eyes and find out.

When he did, he say Steve looking down at him and smiled. "Good morning, Sunshine," Jim said.

"Good morning, yourself," Steve said. He leaned down and kissed Jim good morning properly.

"How long have you been up?" Jim asked when the kiss ended.

"Long enough to get the coffee started and take a shower," Steve told him. "Do you want to clean up here or shall I take you back to the hotel?"

"It'll have to be the hospital," Jim said. "I need to pick up my car then go back to the hotel."

"Why don't I make us a quick breakfast while you clean up a bit," Steve suggested. "After that, I can drop you off at the hospital on my way to the station."

"Works for me," Jim told him. Steve kissed Jim again then climbed off the bed.

By the time Jim was cleaned, dressed, and walking into the kitchen, Steve was dishing up scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. Steve poured him a cup of coffee as Jim sat down at the counter.

"Looks great," Jim remarked.

"I got tired of spending money eating out all the time," Steve shrugged. "I learned to cook to save my wallet."

"I know what you mean," Jim smiled. "Blair's a great cook and he's even taught me a few things."

They made small talk for the rest of the meal. When he'd finished eating, Steve got up and poured Jim more coffee. He told him to finish eating while he got ready for work.

Blair was just finishing his breakfast when an orderly walked in with a wheelchair. "Mr. Sandburg, you feel up to a trip to orthopedics?" he smiled. "Dr. Travis wants to check you and get your cast on."

"As ready as I'll ever be," Blair sighed.

The orderly helped him off the bed and into the wheelchair. He wheeled him out of the room, down the hall and onto the elevator. They talked on the way down to orthopedics.

Jesse looked up as the door opened and Blair was wheeled into the room. "Hey, Blair," Jesse smiled. "You ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Blair repeated.

"Let's take a look at that ankle."

Jesse knelt in front of the wheelchair. "The swelling has gone down some," Jesse said. "Let's get you on the table and get that cast on you."

The orderly helped Blair onto the table and onto his stomach. His leg was bent back at the knee and his foot held straight and still. It hurt but it had to be done.

"You two have any plans for lunch?" Steve asked as he and Jim pulled into the hospital parking lot and stopped at Jim's rental car.

"What did you have in mind?" Jim asked.

"I thought I might take you and Blair out for lunch," Steve suggested. "I know this great restaurant down on the pier."

"Sounds great."

"The card I gave Blair has my cell phone number on it," Steve said. "Give me a call about noon and we'll go from there."

"You got it."

Jim reach up and stroked Steve's face. "Thank you," he smiled.

"Believe me, you're quite welcome," Steve smiled back. He leaned over and kissed Jim. "Now get out of my car before I take you right here."

"Sounds fun," Jim said, chuckling. he opened the door and got out. "You take care of yourself."

"You, too." Steve smiled and took off. Jim watched until he was gone then got in his car and headed for the hotel.

It took thirty minutes to get Blair's ankle taken care of and get him back to his room. As soon as he was in bed, a nurse came in and gave him a shot. It would take the edge off the pain, like the night before but it wouldn't make him groggy. Jesse had also left word at the nurse's station to page him when Blair was ready to go.

A few minutes after the nurse left, the door opened and Jim walked in. He'd showered and changed clothes at the hotel then grabbed some clean clothes for Blair before heading back to the hospital.

"Hey, chief," Jim said when he walked in. "You ready to blow this joint?"

"More than ready, man," Blair told him.

Jim got a look at his ankle. "Doesn't look too bad," he remarked.

"It's not now," Blair said. "What hurt was holding it in position for half an hour while they put that thing on."

"I brought you some clean clothes," Jim said. "You need some help getting dressed?"

"Not in several years, my friend," Blair chuckled and Jim smiled. "Why don't you go let the nurse know so she can call the doctor."

"Got it," Jim said and walked out of the room.

Steve had gone about a mile from the clinic when his cell phone rang. "Sloan," he said.

"Steve, we got a murder at the Women's Health Center at Community General," Steve's captain said.

"I'm about a mile or so from there," Steve said and hung up. He put his light in the window and turned it on. Making a U-turn, he headed back to the hospital.

It didn't take long for Jesse to get to Blair's room. He walked in carrying a cane. Blair saw it and made a face.

"I take it that's for me," he said.

"It is," Jesse said. "I know you're on vacation but I'd forget about any walking tours."

"We were planning on spending the time on the beach," Jim said.

"When you're lying on the beach, make a little hill in the sand and rest your leg on it," Jesse suggested. "The nurse will give you a set of instructions and I've left a prescription for a mild pain killer. Take it at night and Tylenol or ibuprofen during the day. If you're still here in seven days, come back and we'll check you out. If the pain or swelling increases, come back in." He handed Blair the cane.

"I'll get started on the paper work," Jim said and walked out again.

"He's a cop, right?" Jesse asked.

"How'd you guess?" Blair chuckled.

"Well, looking at him, I knew he was either a cop or military," Jesse shrugged.

"A cop and ex-military," Blair told him.

Just then Jesse's pager went off. He pulled it out and looked at it. "Time to go back to work," he said. "Take care and watch out for those volley ball players. They can be brutal." Blair was laughing as Jesse left the room.

"Back to the hotel," Jim said, smiling.

"Ah, man," Blair moaned.

"Steve's invited us out to lunch and I thought we could both rest until then."

"You two up late reliving the good ol' days?" Blair asked.

"Something like that, Chief," Jim smiled. "Something like that." Blair looked at Jim but didn't comment.

The Women's Health Center already had a number of cops there by the time Steve arrived. He flashed his badge to the official at the door then went inside. Another officer directed him to where the body was. When he walked in, he saw Mark and Amanda there.

"You know, I can understand why Amanda is here," Steve started.

"I was with Amanda when the call came in," Mark said, "so I just tagged along."

"So who's the victim?" Steve asked.

"Dr. Paul Katz," Amanda said. "Age, forty. Apparent cause of death is a blow to the head. We'll know for sure after the autopsy."

"We got a murder weapon?" Steve asked.

"Here, Lieutenant," another detective said. He held up the statue wrapped in plastic.

"Make sure forensics gets that," Steve said. "As soon as they finish with the pictures, you can have the body."

"You got it," Amanda said.

Steve and Mark moved out to the hall. "Dad, what can you tell me about the good doctor?" Steve asked.

"Paul was a very fine doctor," Mark stated.

"But?"

Mark took a deep breath and let it out. "He was arrogant, rude, self-serving," he said. "Most of what I know is only rumors."

"I'll take rumors," Steve shrugged. "It's a place to start."

"From what I've heard, he's quite the ladies' man," Mark said, "probably having affairs with more than one at a time."

"A possible motive for murder," Steve said. "An angry husband maybe."

"Possibly," Mark conceded. "I also heard one of the nurses say that he dropped a patient because she wanted to get a second opinion. When I asked her about it, she said it wasn't the first time he'd done it."

"Do you know who found the body?" Steve asked.

"Someone said the receptionist did," Mark said. "I think she's in the break room."

They headed down the hall. When they got to the room, they saw a young woman who was crying sitting at a table with a police woman. The two men walked over and sat down.

"I'm Det. Sloan," Steve said. "You're the one who found the body?"

The woman nodded. "Can you give me your name?"

"Victoria Newton."

"Ms. Newton, can you tell me what happened?" Steve asked.

"A guy from FedEx came to pick up a package from Dr. Katz," Victoria said quietly. "I didn't think he was in yet so I grabbed the keys to his office. When I unlocked the door and opened it, I saw him lying on the floor."

"Are the doctors' offices always locked?" Steve asked.

"When they're not in the clinic, yes," Victoria nodded.

"Did you notice anything unusual when you came in this morning?" Mark asked.

"No, but I wasn't the first one here," she said.

"Who was that?" Steve asked.

"It was Dr. Simmons, Paula Simmons," Victoria said. "When I got in, she asked me if I was the last one to leave last night. I told her Dr. Katz and Dr. Miller were still here when I left."

"Did she say why?" Steve asked.

"She said when she got in this morning that all the lights were on and the employee entrance was unlocked," Victoria told him. "She also said there was no one here when she got here and it didn't look like anything was missing."

"Was she here when you found the body?" Steve asked.

Victoria shook her head. "She got a call from the hospital and left," she said.

"Do you know anyone who might have wanted to hurt Dr. Katz?" Mark asked.

"Well, a couple of days ago, he had this big fight with Dr. King," Victoria said. "She said if he stabbed her in the back, he'd find a knife in his."

"Do you know what they were fighting about?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Victoria said, trying not to start crying again.

"All right, that's all for now," Steve said. "Would you like an officer to take you home?"

"I've got my car," Victoria said.

"If you think of anything...." Steve started.

"I think Dr. Katz was sleeping with the other doctors here," Victoria said as she stood.

"Which one?" Mark asked.

"All of them."

Mark looked at her. "Have we met before?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Victoria said as she left.

Blair sighed when his head hit the pillow on his bed at the hotel. "Better than the hospital bed, chief?" Jim asked.

"You know it, man," Blair told him.

Jim pulled an extra pillow out of the closet and put it under Blair's ankle. "I'm gonna get some ice for your ankle," Jim said. "You want some Tylenol?"

"I'm fine," Blair said. He let out a yawn.

"Get some rest," Jim smiled. "I'll wake you in plenty of time for lunch."

"You better," Blair said as Jim left the room for the ice.

By the time Jim returned, Blair was already asleep. Being in the hospital always took a lot out the young man, even if it was only over night. He wrapped the ice in a plastic bag from the hospital then in a hand towel and placed it on Blair's ankle. He pulled a blanket over him, knowing the ice would chill him.

Jim laid down on his bed, turning on his side to watch Blair. He focused on his Guide's heartbeat and let it lull him to sleep.

After Victoria left, Mark and Steve went back into the office. The body was gone as was the murder weapon but the place still looked like there had been a fight there.

"Do you think it was one of the doctors here at the clinic?" Mark asked.

"Could be," Steve said, looking around. "From the looks of things here, there was quite a fight here."

Mark walked over to Dr. Katz's desk. It was messed up supposedly from the fight, so it was hard to tell if something was missing. What was there made Mark smile.

"Steve, come here," he said.

"What is it, Dad?" Steve asked, walking over to the desk.

"Dr. Katz's appointment book," Mark said.

Steve pulled out a handkerchief, picked up the book and dropped it into an evidence bag. "I'll have it checked for prints then I'll take a look at it," he said. "It might help us find our killer."

"Or throw the field wide open," Mark mused.

"There is that," Steve agreed. "I'm going back to the station. I'll call you later." Mark nodded as Steve left.

Steve was sitting at his desk at the precinct when his cell phone rang. "Sloan," he said.

"Hello, gorgeous."

"Hello, yourself," Steve chuckled.

"We still on for lunch?" Jim asked.

"Is it that time already?" Steve asked, checking his watch. It was almost one. "Yes, it is. More than ready for lunch."

"Got a bad one?" Jim asked.

"I'll explain it over lunch," Steve told him. "You want me to pick you up?"

"No sense in that," Jim said. "Just give me directions and we'll meet you there."

Steve gave him the directions. "I'll meet you there in about half an hour," he said.

"You're on," Jim said. They said their good-byes and hung up.

The bathroom door opened and Blair hobbled out. "Everything set?" he asked, making his way to the bed.

"Yep," Jim told him. "You need a hand?"

"Nah," Blair grinned. "Go get ready then we'll go."

The restaurant at the pier was wonderful. Part of it was built over the water and that's where the trio's table was at. The waiter took their drink orders, iced tea all around, then left them to look over their menus.

After ordering summer seafood platters, Jim leaned back and looked at Steve. "So tell me about the case," he said.

"Oh, no," Blair moaned. "Here comes the shop talk. Didn't you two get this out of your system last night?"

Steve and Jim looked at each other. "Nah," they said in unison. Blair just shook his head.

"How's your ankle?" Steve asked.

"Better than it was when I got to the hospital," Blair conceded. "It's down to a dull throb now."

"You're changing the subject," Jim smiled.

"A murder case," Steve shrugged. "A doctor was murdered last night at his clinic."

"Any suspects?" Jim asked.

"Well, from things we've been hearing, it could be a jilted lover or a jealous husband," Steve said with a sigh.

"Like that, huh?" Blair chuckled.

"I spent the last two hours looking at this guy's appointment book," Steve said. "It's like looking at a who's who in the medical society."

"Any suspects leap out at you?" Jim asked. With that, the shop talk, began in earnest.

Blair sat back and watched the two cops talk. He hadn't seen Jim this relaxed around someone since they'd known each other. Even with Simon, whom Jim trusted with his life and his secret, Jim wasn't this at ease.

Jim had known Steve before he went down in Peru so maybe that was part of it. Part, maybe, but not all of it. There was more as well. The two men touched each other and sometimes, a look would pass between them and they would smile.

Now this, Blair thought to himself, could be just a cop thing or an old friend thing. He watched as Jim stole a hush puppy from Steve's plate. But I doubt it, Blair finished silently.

These two had a history and it was more than two men spending some time together a few years ago.

Blair smiled. Maybe his straight partner wasn't. If that was true, then it wasn't cop stories Jim and Steve traded last night. That thought occurred to him while he was taking a drink of his tea and he started coughing.

Steve and Jim stopped talking. "You all right, Chief?" Jim asked.

Blair nodded. "Swallowed wrong," he managed to say.

Steve glanced at his watch. "I've got to run," he said. He signaled to the waiter who brought over their check. "I've got to track down the other doctors at the clinic."

"Thanks for lunch," Blair said. "I enjoyed it."

"So did I," Steve said. "I'll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can get together again."

"You better," Jim threatened. Steve got up, patted Jim on the shoulder and left.

"You ready to go?" Jim asked.

"You bet," Blair said. "Where do you want to go?"

"You feel up to a little walk along the pier?" Jim smiled. "We can get some cotton candy."

"Spun sugar," Blair grimaced. "A dentist's dream."

"So do you want some or not?"

"Of course."

Jesse had been coming to counseling for three months but he was still nervous. It wasn't the people or the place, his counselor was gay. So were most everyone there. For all he talked, he was still nervous about talking about himself.

The man at the desk told Jesse that Danny was ready for him and to go on back. Reaching Danny's door he knocked before opening it and walking in.

"Hi, Jesse," Danny smiled as Jesse closed the door behind him. "Have a seat. The usual?"

"Please," Jesse said, sitting on the couch.

Danny opened the small fridge and pulled out a can of pop. Getting up, he walked over and handed it to Jesse then filled his coffee mug.

"Is something wrong, Jesse?" Danny asked. "You seem more nervous than usual today."

"Do I?" Jesse opened the can and took a drink. "I've been having these dreams."

"What kind of dreams?"

"About different guys," Jesse told him. "You know, what it would be like."

"Fantasies are quite normal."

"I know, but lately," Jesse took a deep breath. "Lately, they seemed to all be about one man."

"Someone you know?"

Jesse nodded. "The son of someone I work with," he said. "At first it wasn't too bad. In the past couple of weeks, though, they've become very. . ." He groped for the right word.

"Intense?"

"Intense is putting it mildly," Jesse sighed. "I've woke up with sticky sheets for a solid week."

"Is it causing a problem?"

"It could very easily," Jesse told him. "Yesterday I was at his dad's house for lunch. They share a duplex on the beach. After lunch, he went surfing. I sat on some rocks and watched him, and I started daydreaming. I was so lost in it, I didn't even notice he'd gotten out of the water. When he touched me, I must have jumped a mile straight up."

"Is he gay?"

"Beats me," Jesse shrugged.

"You were going to tell me about Harry today."

Jesse smiled gently. "Harry was the first and only man I've ever loved," he said. "There were a couple of guys before him but it was just kissing and hand jobs."

"And Harry?"

"Harry had the body of an athlete and the heart of a romantic," Jesse grinned. "He could spout stats for every player on his favorite teams then turn around and quote Shakespeare's sonnets with such feeling you'd have tears in your eyes."

"He sounds wonderful."

"He was," Jesse agreed. "We met at the start of our sophomore year in college. We were assigned to the same room at the dorm."

"How long did it take for you to get together?"

"A month," Jesse remembered. "I was watching him and wondering. What I didn't know was that he was watching me and making plans."

"One Friday evening, we decided to just relax in our room. We were both reading when he gets up and puts on this slow, romantic music. Next thing I know, he's standing by my bed. He holds out his hand and asks me to dance. When I stood up and he slipped his arms around me, it felt so. . .right, you know."

"He was about six inches taller than I am and my forehead touched his jaw when I laid my head on his shoulder. We danced until the music ended."

"Did you sleep together that night?"

"Yeah," Jesse smiled. "It was almost like he knew how nervous I was, how inexperienced. He said that night was for me, for my pleasure. He was gentle and sweet. . ."

"And?"

"And I was so hot from just kissing him that I thought I would explode before we ever got undressed." Jesse chuckled.

"How long were you together?"

"That entire school year," Jesse said. He grew somber. "We spent the summer apart but we talked on the phone. We got back together at the start of our junior year.

"Two weeks into it, I went out of town for the weekend with one of my classes. When I got back Sunday night, he was gone. Nobody seemed to know where he was. I found out a few days later that he'd totally withdrawn from the university.

"I tried calling his home but couldn't get past the butler. No one could or would tell me anything. After a while, I quit trying. I threw myself into my studies for a while. It was a few months before I even went out again. I tried a few of the gay bars but," he shrugged, "I kept comparing everyone to Harry."

"How long has it been?"

"Seven years," Jesse said.

"Did you ever find out what happened to Harry?"

"We ran into each other right after I started med school," Jesse said. "It seems his parents found out about us and pulled him out of school."

"Couldn't he have refused?"

"Not really," Jesse said. "You see, as much as I loved medicine, Harry loved engineering. That meant college and graduate school. Because of that, he was dependent on his parents to pay for it.

"They sent him to school in Europe for a year. He said he wrote me but didn't find out until later that the school was destroying the letters before they left the school. When he didn't hear from me, he figured I hated him."

"Did you get back together?"

"Too much time had passed," Jesse said, shaking his head. "Last I heard, he'd gotten married."

"And it makes you sad."

"I think about what might have been," Jesse shrugged, "what my life would be like if we'd stayed together."

"I have an assignment for you."

"I hate your assignments," Jesse groaned.

"Before your next appointment, I want you to visit a gay bar. You don't have to pick anyone up but you do have to dance with one man."

"You're terrible, you know that."

"That's why they pay me the big bucks," Danny smiled. "Now get out of here, I have sick people to help."

Steve found himself back at the hospital. He spotted Dr. Teresa King coming out of a room and walked up to her.

"Dr. King?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied turning around.

"Dr. King, I'm Det. Steve Sloan," he said. "I'm with Homicide. I'm assuming you've heard about Dr. Katz."

"Who hasn't?" she said. "It's all over the hospital."

"You were overheard fighting with him," he said. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"In here," she said and they walked into an empty room.

"Yes, I fought with Paul," she said. "So did anyone who knew him."

"You also threatened to put a knife in his back."

"A figure of speech, Detective," she sighed.

"Where were you last night, Doctor?" he asked.

"I delivered three babies last night," she told him. "One female and a set of male twins."

"Were you having an affair with Dr. Katz?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Anything else, Detective?"

"You seem quite blas about it," he observed.

"It was for the sex," she shrugged. "I wasn't the first, I wasn't the last and I wasn't the only."

"So you know about the others," he said.

"He never came out and said there were others," she said, "but I knew." She glanced at her watch. "If you will excuse me, Detective. I do have patients."

"All right," he said. "Needless to say don't leave town."

"Of course not, Detective," she said and left the room.

After a walk on the pier and the requisite cotton candy, Jim and Blair headed back to the hotel. Blair was beginning to wince when he walked and his face was pale.

"Come on, Chief," Jim smiled. "Let's get you back to the room. You need some Tylenol and to put your foot up." He knew he was right when Blair didn't argue with him.

Once they were in the room, Blair laid on the bed without a word. Jim fetched the Tylenol and the ice. Blair still hadn't said anything.

Jim sat on his bed. "What's wrong, Blair?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Jim," Blair said softly.

"For what?"

"For messing up your vacation," the young man said, "again."

"You didn't mess anything up," Jim smiled. "We just have to change our agenda a little, that's all. I mean, we're still going to the ball game tomorrow, right?"

"Right."

"I can still go surfing and I'm sure there's something we can wrap your foot with if you want to get in the water," Jim told him.

"Probably," Blair smiled.

"There's an exercise room here in the hotel," Jim said. "Why don't you rest your foot while I check it out? After that, we'll make plans for this evening."

"Sounds like a plan."

*******

Dinner was at the hotel's sports bar. Jim watched as his partner turned a few heads. Blair cut quite a figure in his leather jacket and faded jeans. The cane just added to the picture.

A waitress showed them to a table and Blair ordered a pitcher of beer. Jim raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry, Big Guy," Blair said. "The beer will work just as well as the pain pill."

The waitress returned with their pitcher. "Do you have a specialty?" Jim asked.

"Personally, no," she smiled and they chuckled. "Our most popular item is the Monte Cristo."

"Which is?" Blair asked.

"It's a sandwich. Ham, turkey, chicken, bacon and cheese on sourdough bread, she said. "It's cut in quarters, dipped in batter and deep fried. It's served with honey and your choice of fries, cole slaw, or potato salad."

"I'll take it with the slaw," Jim grinned.

"What's that sound I hear?" Blair asked, cupping his ear. "Why it's the sound of Jim's arteries hardening."

"Very funny."

The waitress looked at Blair. "How about a bowl of homemade french onion soup and a club sandwich on cracked wheat, toasted not grilled?" she suggested.

"You're good," Blair told her. "I'll take it."

"You got it." She gave them a smile then went to turn in their orders.

"You feeling better?" Jim asked as he poured the beer.

"Yeah, Jim, I am," Blair smiled. "Thanks." Jim raised his glass in salute and took a drink.

It was close to midnight when they left the bar. They weren't drunk just pleasantly buzzed. They'd watched a baseball game on the big screen. Well, Blair watched the game. Jim spent the time watching the game and his partner.

Steve had asked him if he was in love with Blair and Jim had managed to sidestep the question. The truth was Jim probably was in love with Blair but he didn't intend to do anything about it.

Blair was his best friend and straight. Even if he wasn't, Jim wasn't about to risk losing him. The Sentinel's track record in relationships, romantic or other, was abysmal. He'd love Blair as a brother and leave it at that.

The next morning, Jim was in the bathroom when the phone rang. Blair snagged it. "Hello," he said.

"Blair?" a voice asked.

"Speaking."

"Blair, this is Steve Sloan," he said.

"Hey, Steve," Blair said. "How's it going?"

"Same as always," Steve said. "One body, lot's of suspects."

"I hear that," Blair chuckled as the bathroom door opened. "Hang on a minute, Steve, and I'll let you speak to what's his name."

Steve chuckled as Jim grabbed the phone. "I'll give you what's his name," he growled. Blair grinned and moved out of the way.

"Hello, Steve," Jim said.

"Keeps you on your toes, does he?" Steve asked, still chuckling.

"Yeah, and if he's not careful, he'll be the foundation of my next sand castle," Jim said.

"Sandburg, sand castle," Blair shrugged. "Well, at least you're in the ball park."

"Did you call for a reason or just to play straight man for Blair?" Jim asked.

"Playing straight is hardly possible for me," Steve deadpanned.

It was Jim's turn to chuckle. "I guess that's true," he said, glad Blair couldn't hear both sides of the conversation.

"How would you like to play tag along with me?" Steve asked.

"You sure about that?" Jim asked.

"Sure am," Steve said. "That is if Blair doesn't mind if I borrow you."

"Hang on," Jim said. "Hey, Chief. Steve wants me to go with him today. Is that okay with you?"

"Do I get the car?" Blair asked. "UCLA has some manuscripts I'd love to see."

"All right," Jim said. He went back to the phone. "You're on," he said.

"Great," Steve said. "Pick you up in half an hour?"

"We'll be in the cafe in the lobby," Jim said. They said goodbye and hung up.

"I knew it was impossible," Blair said. "There's no such thing."

"Sandburg, what are you talking about?

"For us, there is no such thing as a simple vacation," Blair said, shaking his head. "I get hurt and you get involved in a homicide investigation. It's karma, man."

"I'm not involved."

"You will be. Trust me."

When Steve got to the hotel, he joined Jim and Blair for coffee before they left. Jim told Blair to stay out of trouble. Blair's answer to Jim was non-verbal.

"So where are we going?" Jim asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Back to the crime scene," Steve said. "I want another look around."

The clinic was open when they got there. The two men walked down the hall to Dr. Katz's office and went inside. The outline of the body was still on the floor and fingerprint dust was all over the room.

"Must have been some fight," Jim said, looking around the room. "What was he killed with?"

"We found a glass statue next to the body," Steve told him. "I haven't heard anything from forensics on fingerprints. The assistant medical examiner is a friend of mine and she said she'd call me when she had a preliminary report."

Jim used his Sentinel sight to look around the room. As he did, he spotted the corner of what appeared to be a folder sticking out from behind the mirror in the bathroom. Jim began to walk around the room looking at things then walked into the bathroom.

"Hey, Steve, come here," he called.

"What is it?" Steve asked, walking into the small room.

"Take a look," Jim said, pointing to the corner he'd seen.

"What the hell?" Steve asked. He moved the mirror and found a cubby hole behind it. The space had several files in it, including ones on the three doctors at the clinic.

Steve opened one and looked at it. He let out a whistle. "I think we may have a motive," he said, "for several people."

Jim moved over and read over Steve's shoulder. "No wonder this guy was murdered," he said.

Just then, Steve's cell phone rang. "Sloan," he said. He listened for a moment. "Thank you," he finally said. "Transfer me to dispatch." He waited then spoke again. "This is Det. Sloan," he said. "I need a pickup on a Dr. Teresa King." He gave her home address before hanging up.

The two men walked out of the room, down the hall and up to the receptionist's desk. "Ms. Newton," Steve said. "Is Dr. King in right now?"

"No, Detective, she didn't come in today," Victoria said.

"What about Dr. Simmons or Dr. Miller?" Steve asked.

"Dr. Miller is in her office," Victoria said. "Dr. Simmons is working at the annex clinic today."

They went back down the hall and knocked on Dr. Miller's door. It opened and Dr. Miller stood there.

"You must be Det. Sloan," she said. "I was wondering when you were going to get to me."

"May we come in?" Steve asked. She moved aside so they could walk in.

"Have a seat," she said, motioning to the chairs in front of her desk. She walked behind it and sat down. "What can I do for you?"

"We just need to ask you some questions," Steve told her.

"Let me see if I can save you some time," she said. "Yes, I had an affair with Paul. It ended about a month ago. Yes, my husband knows about it. The night Paul was killed, I was having dinner with my husband and eight other people, one of which is the city attorney who was a classmate of my husband's. It was almost two when we got home."

"Your receptionist said you and Dr. Katz were still here when she left that evening," Steve said.

"Dr. Katz was still here when I left and very much alive," she said, "that is, if the giggling I heard meant anything."

"So he wasn't alone," Jim said. She shook her head. "Do you know who he was with?"

"Haven't a clue," she told him.

Steve held up one of the files. "We found these in Dr. Katz's office," he said. "Do you know what's in it?"

"No, but I can guess," she said. "When I was younger, I was a very bad girl. I'm not proud of that but it's a fact and there's nothing I can do to change it. Would I be embarrassed if that information got out? You bet. Would it destroy my life? I might lose some friends. My husband might lose some clients. We've survived worse."

She paused for a moment then continued. "Paul Katz was an evil man," she said. "He took great delight in controlling people and pulling them down to his level. When I broke off our affair, he threatened to go to my husband. I told him to go ahead. Two days later, he shows up with a black eye. My husband gave it to him. I'd already told my husband about it."

"I take it your husband was upset," Jim said.

"He was more upset with Paul than with me," she smiled. "Is there anything else?"

"Not at this time," Steve said. He and Jim stood up. "I'll call you if I have any other questions."

"Do that," she said. "I believe you know the way out."

Dr. Paula Simmons wasn't as easy. The annex was busy. "Can't this wait?" she asked. "I'm kind of busy here."

"We can go down to the station," Steve suggested. "It's not as busy there."

She glared at him. "Five minutes," she said. "After that, you'll have to wait your turn." They walked into a storage room.

"Dr. Simmons, how well do you know Dr. Katz?" Steve asked.

"If you're asking if I had an affair with him, the answer is yes," she said.

"For how long?" Steve asked.

"Six months," she said, "although he'd been after me for a lot longer."

"Did you know about the others?" Steve asked.

"He never kept it a secret," she sighed. "He took great delight in telling you just how many women he was sleeping with or had slept with."

"Where were you the night he was killed?" Steve asked.

"At home with my daughter," she said. "We ordered Chinese and watched a movie."

"Any witnesses?" Steve asked.

"Just the delivery boy," she smiled, "with whom my daughter flirted outrageously."

She glanced at her watch. "I have to get back to my patients," she said. "I'll be at the clinic tomorrow." With that, she opened the door and left.

Steve and Jim had just walked out of the annex when Steve's phone rang. "Sloan," he said. There was a pause. "Great. I'm on my way." He disconnected.

"Well?" Jim asked.

"They just brought in Teresa King," Steve smiled. "Want to sit in?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Jim said.

"We'll hit a drive through on the way," Steve said as they headed for the car.

"I do like the way you think."

Jim and Steve walked into the station and up to the homicide department. "We'll question her as soon as I find the forensics report," Steve said. He began looking around his desk.

He found it and turned to Jim. "Come on," he said. "I'll show you how a real detective does an interview."

"But I thought you were going to do it," Jim said, straight-faced.

Steve glared at Jim. "Come on, funny guy," he said as the two men walked out of the room.

Teresa King was sitting in the interrogation room when Steve and Jim walked into the room. She looked up as they sat down.

"Detective, what's this all about?" she asked.

"Dr. King, was Dr. Katz alive when you left the clinic the evening he was murdered?" Steve asked.

"Yes, he was alive when I left," she said.

"We believe Dr. Katz was killed by a blow to the head," Steve said. "We found a glass statue next to the body and the room showed signs of a fight. The base of the statue had hair, skin and blood from the victim on it."

"I didn't kill him," she said.

"We found something else on the statue," Steve said. "Your fingerprints."

"Having been in Paul's office numerous times, I imagine you've found my fingerprints all over the office."

"True," Steve agreed, "but the way your prints were placed, the statue would have to be upside down. Do you know what I think?"

"What?" she asked, quietly.

"I think that you and Dr. Katz had a fight where you threw several things at him," Steve said. "After that, you picked up the statue and hit him with it. You dropped the statue and left the room, locking it behind you."

"All right, yes, I hit him," she shouted, "but that's not how it happened."

"Dr. Teresa King, I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Dr. Paul Katz," Steve said. He read her rights. She waived her rights to an attorney. "So tell me what happened," he said.

"Our fight was verbal," she said. "I didn't throw anything at him. I was yelling. He got up, fixed himself a drink and downed it, He'd poured himself another. That's when I picked up the statue and hit him. I knelt down next to him. He was still alive when I left and I didn't lock the door."

Steve motioned to the policewoman. "Take her downstairs and get her booked," he said. The policewoman came over, handcuffed Teresa and led her out of the room.

"You got your murderer," Jim said.

"Yeah," Steve said quietly.

"You don't sound convinced," Jim told him.

"Oh, she did hit him and he may have been alive when she left," Steve said.

"But...," Jim urged.

"Too many loose threads," Steve sighed, "and it only takes one to unravel a case."

"So you tie up the loose threads," Jim smiled.

"Why do I think it's not going to be that easy?" Steve chuckled. "You and Blair want to go out tonight?"

"Can't," Jim said. "We've got tickets to the ball game tonight."

"Sounds like fun," Steve grinned. "Come on. I'll get you back to your hotel." They stood up and walked out of the interrogation room.

Jesse was nervous. All right, Jesse was scared to death. He was sitting in the parking lot of delMonaco's, an upscale gay bar in a nicer part of the city. He'd decided on this place because he didn't think he'd run into anyone he knew there.

"Come on, Jesse," he said aloud to himself, "a couple of drinks, a dance and you're out. How bad can that be?" He took a deep breath, got out of his car and headed for the entrance.

After being carded and paying the cover, he walked into the club. It wasn't crowded but there were still a number of people there. Soft dance music was coming from the speakers and several couples, all male, were dancing. Jesse walked up to the bar and sat down. He ordered a drink, paying for it when the bartender set it down in front of him.

Jesse sipped his drink then turned to watch the dancers. Most of them looked like couples as did most of the people there. One dance, he thought, one dance and I'll leave. I can do that.

Jesse had almost finished his drink when someone stood next to him. "Now you're the last person I expected to find here," a familiar voice said.

Jesse's head jerked up and he found himself looking at Steve Sloan. "Steve?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Steve said as he sat down, "but I think we both know the answer."

Steve motioned to the bartender. "I'll have a scotch and water," he said, "and a refill here." He motioned to Jesse's glass.

"You don't have to do that," Jesse said.

"Relax, Jesse," Steve smiled.

"Easy for you to say," Jesse mumbled.

"You don't do this often, do you?" Steve asked.

"It's been a few years," Jesse admitted.

"Well, you picked a nice place to start back," Steve smiled. "You meet a better class of people here."

"I'm not here to pick up anyone," Jesse said. "Are you?"

Steve shrugged. "More often than not, I dance but go home alone," he said.

"Can't find anyone that interests you?" Jesse asked.

"I'm too old for a string of one-night stands," Steve said simply.

The walls were beginning to close in on Jesse. "I've gotta go," he said and hurried out.

"Jesse, wait!" Steve called out but the young man kept going. "Damn," he said. He hurried after Jesse.

Steve found the young man leaning against his car. "Jesse, are you all right?" he asked. "You're shaking like a leaf in a hurricane."

"Just your basic panic attack," Jesse said, trying to smile and failing. "I thought I could do this. My counselor thought I could do this."

"Your counselor sent you to a gay bar?"

"I've known I was gay since I was sixteen," Jesse explained. "After a bad experience, I suppressed those feelings. For the past few months, they've been surfacing with a vengeance. My counselor's helping me get a handle on them."

"So that's what's been bothering you," Steve mused. "We were wondering."

"Was it that obvious?" Jesse asked.

"Only to your friends," Steve smiled gently. "Come back inside."

"I don't know if I can," Jesse whispered.

"I'll keep the wolves at bay," Steve promised. He held out his hand. "Please."

Jesse slowly reached out and took his hand. "Okay," he said.

They walked inside but instead of going back to the bar, Steve led Jesse onto the dance floor. "Steve?" Jesse asked.

"I promise not to step on your toes," Steve chuckled. He pulled the younger man into his arms.

Jesse could die happy now. The object of his fantasies was holding him in his arms. He sighed and, without thinking, closed his eyes and rested his head on Steve's chest. That made Steve smile. They danced through two songs, not saying a word. Finally, they stepped apart and walked back to the bar.

"Feeling better?" Steve asked as they sat down.

"Much better, thanks," Jesse said.

"Jesse, you're not ashamed of being gay, are you?" Steve asked.

"No," Jesse said, shaking his head.

Steve reached out and took Jesse's hand. "You must have been hurt very badly," Steve said quietly. After a minute, he stood up. "Come on," he said.

"Where are we going?" Jesse asked.

"My place," Steve said.

"I thought you said you were too old for one-night stands," Jesse told him.

"Who said anything about just one night," Steve grinned. Jesse grinned back and they walked out.

Jesse followed Steve back to the beach house. He was still a little nervous but he knew whatever happened, Steve would never intentionally hurt him. They made it to the house and headed inside.

"You want a drink?" Steve asked.

"Something non-alcoholic," Jesse said.

Steve shut the door and walked into the kitchen. While he poured two glasses of apple juice, Jesse walked over to the patio doors. Steve walked over to Jesse and handed him a glass.

"Thanks," Jesse said. "It's beautiful out there."

"Yeah, it is," Steve said.

"I have a confession," Jesse said as he turned to Steve.

"What's that?" Steve asked.

"You know that day I came up here to get ready?" Jesse asked and Steve nodded. "Well when I was in the shower, I was almost wishing...."

"That I would walk in on you?" It was Jesse's turn to nod. "It's my turn to confess," Steve smiled. He leaned over to whisper in Jesse's ear. "I almost did."

"Steve, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Would you kiss me?" Jesse's voice was also a whisper.

Steve just smiled. Reaching up, he cupped the back of Jesse's head and pulled him close. He leaned down and gently touched his lips to Jesse's. Jesse sighed when it was over, bathing Steve's lips in his warm breath.

Steve kissed him again. His tongue touched Jesse's lips, asking for entrance. Jesse's lips parted and Steve's tongue eased inside. The younger man's arms went around Steve's waist and pulled him closer.

They parted and looked at each other. "We can stop this any time you want," Steve told him.

"Steve, if you stop, I'll use your gun on you," Jesse informed him. "You're a fantasy come true."

"I've dreamed about you, too," Steve said.

He slid Jesse's jacket off of him and tossed it on the couch. Steve's jacket followed. Both ties were next, followed by belts and shoes. Finally, Steve took Jesse's hand and led him into the bedroom.

They began to kiss again but this time, it wasn't gentle. Passion ruled it then. As they kissed, Steve pulled Jesse's shirt out of his pants then unbuttoned it. Jesse pulled it off just as Steve started kissing his shoulder.

Steve began kissing his way down Jesse's chest, finally going to his knees in front of the young man. He unbuttoned his pants then eased down the zipper.

"Steve?" Jesse asked as Steve tugged his pants down.

"Relax," Steve smiled up at him. He pulled the pants off, taking the socks with him.

Jesse's erection was doing its best to get out of the cloth prison it was in. Steve leaned in and kissed it, causing a shudder to run through Jesse. Taking pity on the younger man, Steve pulled Jesse's briefs down.

A pearly drop of liquid appeared on the end of Jesse's cock. Steve licked it off then placed a kiss where it had been. He gently pushed Jesse back against the bed.

Steve got to his feet. He was still dressed. He took Jesse's chin in his hand and tilted his face. "Jesse, I do want you to understand that you can stop this any time you want," he said. "If I do anything you don't like, tell me and I'll stop. I don't want to hurt you."

"I trust you," Jesse said, honestly. "I don't think you could hurt me."

"You trust me that much?" Steve asked.

"With my life," Jesse said. "There is just one question."

"Which is?" Steve asked, confessed.

"Why are you still wearing clothes?"

"I was just waiting for a young," kiss, "beautiful," kiss, "doctor," kiss, "to help me take them off."

"I'll see if I can find you one," Jesse said and started to turn.

"Get back here," Steve growled and pulled Jesse to him.

Steve began unbuttoning his shirt while Jesse went to work on Steve's pants. It didn't take long for Steve's clothes to disappear. They kissed again then moved onto the bed.

Jesse laid down as Steve leaned over him. They kissed, their tongues darting in and out. After a few minutes, the need for oxygen forced them apart. Steve began kissing and nipping his way down Jesse's chest. Steve licked one of Jesse's nipples and the man moaned. Steve teased the nipple until it was hard then gave the other the same treatment.

Steve kissed Jesse's stomach, pausing long enough to explore the belly button there. He nudged Jesse's legs apart then, kneeling between them and began to kiss the junction between the hip and thigh. He moved to the other side, ignoring the leaking cock in front of him.

When Jesse felt that tongue lick the underside of his cock from the base to the head, he almost exploded. He moaned and would have grabbed Steve's head if Steve hadn't grabbed his hands first. Steve kissed the head then took it in his mouth, running his tongue all around it.

When Steve let go of his hands to hold his hips, Jesse grabbed the sheets. Steve moved his mouth from his cock to his balls, licking and sucking them then went back to Jesse's cock.

Jesse was sure he was dreaming. He was going to wake up in the morning with sticky sheets again. He looked down as Steve's mouth was working his way down his cock. Either he was dreaming or he was going crazy, he wasn't sure which. He just knew it felt too good to be real.

The pressure was building fast and Jesse knew he was about to explode. "Steve!" he shouted. "I'm gonna.... Oh, god, Yes!"

Warm, slightly salty cream hit the back if Steve's throat. He kept sucking until he'd swallowed every drop. He let the softening cock slip from his mouth then licked it clean. He moved up beside Jesse who was still trying to remember how to breathe. He pulled the younger man into his arms.

"You okay?" Steve asked.

"Think... so," Jesse gasped.

Steve leaned over and gently kissed Jesse. "You are so beautiful," he said.

Jesse's blush started about the middle of his chest. Steve chuckled and pulled Jesse closer. His breathing finally evened out and he closed his eyes and sighed.

Jesse smiled to himself when he felt Steve's erection against his leg. He opened his eyes and leered at Steve. "Detective, is that your gun I feel?" he asked.

"Well, I guess it could be considered a weapon, Doctor," Steve said.

"Is it loaded?" Jesse asked.

"Oh, yeah," Steve said, quietly. "Maybe you should check it. Just be careful. It could go off any time."

"Well, maybe I should give you some place to put it," Jesse told him, touching Steve's chest, "some place where no one will be hurt if it goes off."

"And where would that be?" Steve asked.

Jesse wiggled out of Steve's arms and turned on his stomach. He turned his head to look at him. "In me," he said.

Steve's cock twitched and he took a deep breath to steady himself. "Jesse, have you ever done this before?" he asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Hell, yes, it matters," Steve said. "I don't want to hurt you."

Jesse turned on his side and looked at Steve. "Yes, it probably will hurt some," he said. His voice was soft but firm. "That's gonna be true no matter who does it. The difference is that I want my first time to be with someone I care about. He paused for a moment. "And maybe who cares about me."

"I do care about you," Steve admitted. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure," Jesse told him. "A little nervous but I'm not afraid."

"I must be crazy," Steve sighed.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Jesse chuckled.

Steve growled then kissed him. Turning over, he opened the drawer of the night stand, he pulled out the lube. Turning back over, he saw a small smile on Jesse's face and echoed it.

"Turn over on your side," Steve told him. Jesse turned away from Steve. "Now, pull your legs up a little."

Steve positioned himself behind Jesse so he could reach his ass easily with his hand and his cock. Opening the tube, Steve generously lubed his index finger. As the finger searched for and found what he was looking for, he kissed Jesse's shoulder.

Steve eased the tip of his finger inside Jesse and a shudder ran through the smaller man. "You okay?" he asked as he slowly eased his finger inside.

"Yeah," Jesse said, quietly.

"We can stop," Steve assured him. He began to slowly move his finger in and out.

"Please don't stop," Jesse sighed.

After a few minutes, Steve pulled out his finger. He applied more lube to two fingers, crossed them then gently inserted them. He uncrossed them and began moving them in and out. He gradually spread his fingers, stretching Jesse little by little.

Jesse's hips were rocking a little and he whimpered softly when Steve pulled out his fingers. Steve lubed a third finger. Jesse sighed and smiled when they entered him. It didn't take long before Jesse was rocking back to meet Steve's fingers.

Steve removed his fingers. He lubed his cock, mixing it with the juices there. As hot as he was and as tight as he knew Jesse was, he knew he probably wouldn't last long. He placed his cock at Jesse's waiting hole.

"Jesse, I want you to take a deep breath and let it out slowly," Steve said. He placed one hand on Jesse's hip and the other hand held his cock. Once Jesse had let out his breath, Steve began to push the head in.

Pain exploded behind Jesse's eyes. Tears stung his eyes and his fists grabbed the sheets as he gasped in pain.

"Jesse?" Steve asked as he continued to push. The head was finally in and he stopped pushing.

"It hurts," Jesse admitted.

"I know," Steve said. "Take deep breaths. The pain will fade and I won't move until you say so." He slipped an arm under Jesse and pulled him close while his other hand stroked Jesse's hip.

The pain did diminish as Jesse managed to relax. "Okay," he said. "You can move."

Steve once again held Jesse's hip as he pushed his cock into that tight, hot channel. Finally, his hips rested against Jesse's ass and he was all the way in.

"So tight," Steve gasped. He kissed Jesse's shoulder as his hand found his nipple and rubbed.

Jesse relaxed a little more and Steve pulled out a couple of inches then pushed back in. He kept it slow and gentle as he pulled out a little more before pushing back in.

Steve reached around and grasped Jesse's cock. His erection had faded when Steve first entered him but it was coming back. As Jesse relaxed more, his hips began pushing back to meet Steve's thrust then forward into his hand. It wasn't long before they lost slow and gentle.

"Come for me," Steve growled into Jesse's ear. "Come on my cock, lover."

"So good," Jesse whispered. The familiar pressure was building fast. "Steve!" he shouted and exploded.

Steve thrust hard into Jesse as he felt Jesse's muscles grab his cock. He exploded himself, filling Jesse's ass. After what seemed like an eternity, they both went limp. Neither said anything for a few minutes.

"Still with me?" Steve asked.

"I think so," Jesse answered. "Ask me again when my body's working again."

"Your body's working just fine," Steve assured him. He eased himself out of Jesse and started to get out of bed.

"Steve?" Jesse asked, worry in his voice.

"I'm just getting something to clean us up with," Steve smiled. He kissed Jesse then climbed out of bed. He disappeared into the bathroom.

He reappeared after a couple of minutes with a warm washcloth and a towel. He spread the towel over the wet spot then gently cleaned Jesse, front and back. He tossed the cloth in the general direction of the bathroom then climbed into bed.

"Do you want me to leave?" Jesse asked.

"If you try, I will handcuff you to the bed," Steve said, matter-of-factly.

"Sounds like fun," Jesse chuckled.

"Come here," Steve said. He reached out and pulled Jesse to him. He gently kissed him. "Good night."

"Night," Jesse said. He yawned and snuggled closer to Steve. It wasn't long before they were both asleep.

Mark was humming to himself when Steve opened the patio doors and walked in. "Morning, Dad," he said. "You through with the paper?

"Yeah," Mark said. His brow furrowed for a moment. "Steve, I think you and I need to have a talk."

"About what?" Steve asked.

"Well, before we get started, why don't you go get Jesse," Mark told him.

"Jesse?" Steve asked. "Why would Jesse...."

Mark raised his hand. "Steve, just go get him," he said.

"All right," Steve said with a sigh.

Jesse was just walking out of the bathroom when Steve walked into the bedroom. He looked at Steve and knew something was up. "What's wrong?" he asked as he dried off from the shower.

"Dad wants to talk," Steve said.

"And?"

"He wants to talk to both of us."

Jesse dropped onto the bed. "Damn," he whispered. "Does Mark know you're gay?"

"I never told him," Steve told him.

"But with your dad that doesn't mean much," Jesse sighed. "He wants to talk to both of us. This is not good."

Steve sat down next to Jesse and took his hand. "No matter what happens, no one can take away what happened between us or change how I feel about you," he smiled. He kissed Jesse's lips. "Get dressed and we'll go talk to Dad. Waiting won't make it any easier."

"I dunno," Jesse shrugged. "Maybe if we wait for a while, he'll forget." Steve cocked an eyebrow at him. "Then again, it could snow here in July," he sighed. "I'll get dressed."

Mark looked up when Steve and Jesse walked in. Steve looked resigned but Jesse looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Have a seat," Mark said. "You two want breakfast?"

"Dad," Steve sighed, "you didn't ask us here for breakfast."

"No, I didn't," Mark admitted. "Steve, you and I have talked about a lot of things but this is not an easy conversation."

"Or a short one, I imagine," Steve mused.

"I know Jesse spent the night with you," Mark said. "I had an emergency and went out last night. Normally, I wouldn't think anything much about it."

"What changed your mind?" Jesse asked.

"Let's just say if you two are going to kiss, you shouldn't do it in front of an open window with the lights on," Mark told them.

"How long have you known?" Steve asked.

"I've suspected for a long time," Mark said, "especially when a close friend of yours got transferred to the east coast. You were depressed for weeks."

Jesse's knuckles were turning white because he was gripping the edge of the table so hard. He was trying desperately not to panic. Steve reached over and rested his hand on Jesse's.

Mark looked at the young man. "Jesse, calm down before you have to be sedated," he said.

"Easy for you to say," Jesse muttered.

"Jesse, you're not in trouble," Mark assured him.

"Even if I'm involved with your son?"

"Are you involved with him?"

"Him is still in the room," Steve reminded them.

Jesse let go of the counter. He turned his hand over and held Steve's. He looked up into Steve's face. "I'd like to be," he said quietly. Steve picked up his hand and kissed it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mark asked.

"It's not the easiest thing to discuss with anyone, even your open-minded father," he shrugged. "You get used to keeping it a secret. Jesse and I have known each other for several years. Neither of us knew about the other until last night." Steve looked at his father. "You're upset," he said.

"Yes and no," Mark sighed. "I'm not upset, not much anyway, that you're gay. I'm upset you didn't tell me, trust me with it."

"In my line of work, being gay can be dangerous," Steve said. "Legally, officially, they couldn't do anything to me. Unofficially, it's another story."

"Dangerous?" Mark asked.

"You hear stories," Jesse said, "about cops who have come out. Their backup is late. They get shitty cases. Their performance reviews take a nose dive."

"You never were one for choosing the easy road," Mark said.

"It's something I learned from my old man," Steve chuckled. He looked around. "You said something about breakfast." Jesse and Mark groaned and shook their heads.

After they ate, Steve and Jesse went back to Steve's place to get ready. Jesse talked Steve into taking him along. When Steve asked about his car, Jesse, wide-eyed and innocent, said he could pick it up that evening. Steve looked at him but didn't say anything.

Blair was surprised when he opened the hotel room and saw Steve and Jesse standing there. He waved them in and shut the door. Jesse was just as surprised to see Blair.

"You moonlighting as a detective now?" Blair asked.

"Just keeping an eye on Steve," Jesse chuckled. "His dad would never forgive me if I let something happen to him."

"You two know each other?" Steve asked.

"Jesse's the one who took care of my foot," Blair said.

"And your friend the detective?" Jesse asked.

"Is an old friend of mine," Steve answered. The look Jesse gave Steve said, You will tell me about it later.

Jim walked out of the bathroom. "Hey, Steve," he said. He looked at Jesse. "We going as a trio?"

"More like a quartet," Blair piped up.

"Chief," Jim started

"Don't start, man," Blair warned.

"How's your foot?" Jim asked.

"My foot is fine," Blair sighed. "You're not gonna let me go, are you?"

"I'm not even in an official capacity," Jim reminded him. "He can get away with it with me."

"Because you're a cop," Blair groused. "Yeah, yeah. Seems I've heard this song before."

"Then you should know it by heart," Jim grinned.

"Jesse, why don't you stay with Blair?" Steve suggested.

Jesse glared at Steve. "Wait a minute," he started.

"We'll come back by and pick you two up for lunch," Steve said. He and Jim hurried out of the room before Jesse could say anything else.

"He's gonna pay for that," Jesse swore.

"Come on," Blair said. "I'll buy you a cup of coffee." He grabbed his jacket and they left the room.

"So where are we going?" Jim asked.

"Back to the clinic," Steve said. "I want to talk to the receptionist again. She's the one who found the body and overheard an argument between Drs. King and Katz."

Blair finished his latte and set his cup down. He glanced at his watch. "You ready to go?" he asked.

"Go where and just how are we gonna get there?" Jesse asked back.

Blair pulled the keys to the rental car out of his pocket and jingled them. "As to where," he said. "You have any ideas?"

"From what Steve's been telling me, this Dr. Katz is a real slime," Jesse said. "Maybe we could check out his house."

"Do you have his address?" Blair asked.

"I bet we can get it," Jesse smiled.

"After you," Blair said, returning the smile.

Victoria Newton looked up when Jim and Steve walked into the clinic. "Back again so soon," she asked.

"We just need to check on a few things," Steve told her.

"I thought you arrested Dr. King yesterday," Victoria said.

"We did," Steve nodded. "We just want to make sure we have everything we need for a conviction."

"I see," Victoria said. "What can I do?"

"You said a couple of days before the murder that Dr. Katz and Dr. King had a fight," Steve said. "You heard Dr. King saying something about a knife in the back. Did you hear anything else?"

Victoria chewed on her lower lip. Jim listened and her heartbeat went up. "Well," she said, slowly. "I'm not sure. I mean, I could have misunderstood her. The door was closed."

"What did she say?" Steve asked.

"I like Dr. King," Victoria said. "I don't want to get her into trouble."

"She's been arrested for murder," Steve reminded her. "How much more trouble can she be in?"

"I was walking by the office," she said. "It sounded like she said something about blackmail."

Steve and Jim looked at each other. "Did she say she was being blackmailed?" Steve asked.

"I'm not sure," Victoria admitted. "It wasn't clear and I didn't stop to listen."

"Okay, thanks," Steve said. "Are Dr. Simmons and Dr. Miller in their offices?"

"They should be," Victoria said.

"You think they were all being blackmailed?" Jim asked quietly as they walked down the hall.

"Why stop with just one?" Steve shrugged.

"You have to admire a man who is thorough in his job," Jim snorted.

They were so involved in their conversation, they didn't notice Victoria watching them. As soon as they went into one of the offices, she slipped out the door, telling one of the nurses she had an appointment she had to be at.

Jesse and Blair smiled at each other. It had taken a couple of hours but they were finally able to get Dr. Katz's address. Currently they were in the rental car heading for the address. They pulled up in front of the house.

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Jesse asked.

"To see who else might have been involved with the good doctor," Blair said. "From what I've been told, this guy was cocky. People like that like to keep trophies."

"You get all that from living with a cop?"

"That and a course in abnormal psychology," Blair chuckled. "Let's go." They got out of the car and headed for the front door.

When they got there, the door was open about four inches. Blair grabbed Jesse's arm and pointed. Placing a finger to his lips, Blair pushed the door open. They didn't see any one.

Before they could enter the house, three shots rang out. Jesse and Blair both jumped off the porch, Blair landing in the bushes next to the porch.

After Blair managed to crawl out of the bushes, cussing like a drunken sailor and scratching his face and hands to pieces in the process, he snagged his cane and turned to look for Jesse. He gasped when he saw him lying on the sidewalk, his legs still on the steps.

As Blair got closer, he saw the blood on the young man's side. "Oh, god!" he exclaimed and knelt down beside him.

Before Blair could call for help, he heard a car start. Moments later, a car hurriedly backed out of the driveway and took off down the street. It happened so fast that Blair didn't see who was driving or get the license number.

By this time, several people had come out of their houses. "Call an ambulance!" Blair shouted. "He's been shot!"

Jim and Steve were shaking their heads when they left the clinic. Both doctors admitted to the attempted blackmail and both believed Dr. Katz was behind it.

"Anything on the autopsy?" Jim asked as they got into the car and left.

"Not yet," Steve told him. "I'll give her a call and see what's she's got."

He was reaching for his phone when it rang. "Sloan," he said.

"Steve, it's Amanda," she said.

"Amanda," Steve smiled. "I was just about to call you."

"Steve, you need to get to the hospital," she said.

"What's up?" he asked.

"It's Jesse," Amanda said quietly. "He's been shot."

"What!" Steve shouted. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Amanda told him. "Just get here."

"I'm on my way," Steve said. He thumbed the phone off then slammed it down.

"What's wrong?" Jim asked. He hadn't listened to the conversation. He saw Steve reach for the light and dialed down his hearing until after Steve turned it and the siren on.

"Jesse's been shot," Steve said, tight-lipped. He made a U-turn and they headed for the hospital.

When they got to the hospital and went inside. Amanda was waiting for them. "Where's Jesse?" Steve asked without preamble.

"They've already taken him to surgery," she said. "Your father's operating on him. He was shot once in the abdomen."

"And you have no idea what happened?" Steve asked.

"Jesse was unconscious when the paramedics brought him in."

"Was there someone with him?" Jim asked. "The same age, curly, brown hair, walking with a cane?"

"He's in the waiting room," Amanda said. "He got here about five minutes ago. I'll take you there."

It was a quiet walk to the waiting room. Blair was sitting in a chair. He was sitting but he wasn't sitting still. His good leg was bouncing up and down. His head was down, his hair making a curtain in front.

"Blair," Jim said, a little louder than necessary.

Blair's head jerked up. "Jim," he said, relieved. "Am I glad to see you."

"Makes two of us," Jim said. He and Steve sat across from Blair. "You want to tell us what happened."

"After you two left, we decided to do a little investigating of our own," Blair told them. "We decided to go out to Dr. Katz's house. We figured... I figured anyone as arrogant as he was probably kept souvenirs."

Jim let out a sigh and started to say something but Blair stopped him. "I know, I know and I'm sure we'll discuss it later," he said. "Anyway, when we walked up to the door, it was already open. I signaled Jesse to be quiet and pushed the door open. We didn't even go inside. I heard three shots. I landed in the bushes jumping off the porch."

"Is that how you got so scratched up?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah," Blair mumbled. "I didn't even know Jesse had been shot until I crawled out and saw him lying on the sidewalk. One of the neighbors called the police, I guess."

"Did you see who did it?" Steve asked.

Blair shook his head. "I saw a sports car pulling out when I was kneeling next to Jesse," he told the detective. "It was a dark two-door domestic, I think. I didn't see the driver or the plate."

Steve rubbed his face with his hands. "You know what this means, don't you?" he asked.

"Either it was one of Dr. Katz's blackmail victims," Jim said, nodding, "or...."

"Or we've got the wrong person locked up," Steve finished.

After a few minutes, Steve got up and started pacing. He finally stopped and leaned against the wall. His back was to Jim and Blair.

Jim watched his friend for a short time then got up and walked over to him. Steve quickly wiped the tears off his face. "He's special to you, isn't he?" Jim asked.

"Yeah," Steve whispered. "We've known each other for a few years but last night... last night we met in a bar, purely by chance. I knew the first time we danced, it was right."

He chuckled. "God, I sound like a slut," he said. "Three days ago, I was in bed with you and now, I'm telling you I think I've found the love of my life."

"Steve, you and I were never in love," Jim reminded him. "We were never meant to be more than friends. We knew that then and we knew it three days ago."

Steve looked at him. "You know, you never did answer my question the other night," he said.

"I don't remember you talking that much," Jim remarked.

"Funny man," Steve smiled.

"Like I said then, it doesn't matter," Jim said. "Our friendship is too important to me to chance it."

"Keep telling yourself that," Steve told him. "One day, you may just believe it." They both fell silent.

It was another hour before Mark came out. "Dad," Steve said with relief. His father didn't look like he was about to deliver bad news.

"Jesse's going to be fine," Mark assured them. "The bullet nicked his right kidney and we repaired the damage. He'll be out in a few days."

"Can I see him?" Steve asked.

"Not until this evening," Mark said. "He'll be in recovery until then." He looked around. "Someone care to tell me how and why Jesse got shot?"

"The how is a long story," Jim said. "The why is that somebody didn't want Jesse and Blair to find whatever may have been in Katz's house."

"Speaking of Katz," Amanda said, rubbing her face. "I finished the preliminary autopsy. He wasn't killed by a blow to the head."

"Why am I not surprised?" Steve moaned. "So while Dr. King is probably guilty of assault, she may or may not be guilty of murder." He looked at Jim. "Loose threads."

After that, Mark told them all to leave. Steve wanted to check out Katz's house. Jim was taking Blair back to the hotel so the younger man could rest a little while.

Steve wanted to see what was important enough to shoot someone over. When he got to the house, he picked the lock on the front door and went inside. It was obvious that someone had been there looking for something. Whether or not they found it was another matter.

He had no idea what he was looking for. He figured it had something to do with the files he and Jim had found in the good doctor's office. He just wished he knew what he was looking for.

He walked into the bedroom and sat on the end of the bed. Looking up, he noticed that there was a closet with three sets of french doors that ran the length of the room.

"Bingo," Steve chuckled.

Getting up, he walked over to the closet. He opened the middle doors that were directly across from the bed, and looked up. Just what he expected to find. Disguised as a light fixture over the closet door was a video camera, the wires running down the wall and through the baseboard.

Now where were the tapes?

Walking back into the living room, he looked at all the tapes in the entertainment center. Aside from quite a number of pornographic flicks, there was nothing unusual there. He knew they weren't hidden too well. Katz probably wanted easy access to them so he could watch his 'conquests'.

Sitting down on the couch, Steve sighed. He had no idea where to start. Add to that, he was worried about Jesse. He was tempted to call but he knew his dad would call if he was needed.

He started to get up then looked down. No, it couldn't be that simple. On the side of the coffee table was a door. When he opened it, he saw a stack of tapes. He took out his notebook that had a list of names from the files they'd found. After checking the tapes, he found one for someone whose name was not on the list.

That made Steve smile a little. Dr. King may not be their murderer but he'd bet money he knew who was. Grabbing the tapes, he left the house.

Jim was quiet the entire drive back to the hotel. For once in his life, Blair kept quiet himself. He was fairly sure Jim was upset with him for going to Katz's house. He also knew something else was wrong but he wasn't sure what it was. "Why don't you lie down and take some weight off your leg?" Jim suggested quietly when they got back to their room.

"Sure, Jim," Blair said just as quietly.

"You want a pain pill or some Tylenol?"

"I'm fine," Blair assured him.

"All right," Jim murmured. "I'll be on the balcony if you need me."

Jim grabbed a beer from the mini fridge in their room and opened it. He opened the balcony doors and went outside, shutting the door behind him. He sat on a chair and stared over the skyline.

Blair laid on the bed but he didn't go to sleep. He tried to figure out what was going on with Jim. He expected the detective to yell at him for going to Katz's house. When that didn't happen, it confused him. In fact, he realized he sort of missed it.

Naomi was a great mom and he wouldn't trade their life together for anything. Sometimes, though, he wished she wasn't so even tempered. Just once, he wanted her to raise her voice at him, yell at him for something he'd done.

That's why he didn't mind so much when Jim yelled at him for doing something stupid. At first, he thought it was because whatever he did reflected on Jim. It was only later he realized that Jim was doing it because he cared.

Blair laid in the bed for about an hour before giving up on sleep. He finally got up and grabbed a beer for himself and another for Jim then went out on the balcony.

Jim looked up as Blair sat down. "You're supposed to be sleeping," he said.

"I gave it up as a lost cause," Blair told him, handing him the bottle.

"Thanks," Jim said.

"So," Blair said. He took a swallow of his beer. "You going to tell me what's wrong?"

"What makes you think...," Jim started.

"Don't," Blair stopped him. "Even at your most stoic, I've never seen you like this."

"You know why I yell at you sometimes?" Jim asked.

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid that one of these days, something's going to happen to you, something horrible, and it'll be the last straw and you'll leave," Jim told him.

"Jim, I won't leave you," Blair assured him.

"When we were waiting for the doctor to let us know about Jesse, I kept thinking about when you were shot," Jim continued as if Blair hadn't said a word. "I spent weeks being scared. That you would die, that you would leave. You put on a good show but I could see how scared you were, too. I kept expecting you to take off and not look back."

During all of this, Jim kept his eyes averted from Blair. He knew he couldn't look at his friend and not tell him how he felt. He finished his second beer and set the bottle down.

Blair got out of his chair and knelt in front of his best friend. He placed his hands on Jim's thighs and smiled.

"Jim, I am your guide," he said, quietly but firmly. "But even if I wasn't, I wouldn't leave you. You are the best friend I've ever had. We are bonded together and leaving you, for whatever reason, would kill me."

He paused for a moment, rubbing Jim's legs slightly. "I wish there was some way to convince you," he continued. "You're just going to have to have a little faith in me, a little trust that I mean what I say."

"I do trust you," Jim admitted, "more than I've trusted anyone else. You're the one person I will always trust with my life, no matter what."

"Then trust me with this," Blair said.

Jim finally looked at Blair. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Jim reached up and gently fingered one of Blair's curls. Closing his eyes, Blair moved his head and rubbed his cheek on the fingers there.

Now or never, they both thought.

Blair opened his eyes and looked at Jim. Without a word, they leaned toward each other. When their lips met, it was like coming home. They broke apart when oxygen became an issue, Jim stood, pulling Blair up with him, and they kissed again.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Blair managed to say when the kiss was over.

"No, we shouldn't," Jim said as he moved down to Blair's jawline. "We're partners." He moved to Blair's neck.

"Right. We're partners and, oh, god," Blair gasped as Jim nipped then kissed Blair's neck. "And it'll mess up our working relationship." It was getting harder to think much less talk.

"Yeah, it could," Jim agreed. He moved back to Blair's jaw. "Not to mention our friendship."

They kissed again.

"There is that," Blair said breathlessly when the kiss was over. "Then again, there is that Sentinel/Guide bond."

"True," Jim agreed. "You know what I think?"

"Whassat?"

"I think we should go inside," Jim smiled. "Otherwise, we might start undressing each other out here."

"Good idea," Blair agreed.

They made it into the room but stopped at the bed closest to the balcony. Jim pulled Blair to him and they began kissing again. As they did, their hands began removing their clothes.

This wasn't a gentle coupling between two new lovers. This was a frenzied mating between two people who had denied their feelings for too long.

Both men were hard by the time they were nude and in bed. Blair was on top of Jim and was doing his best to mark territory. There were several red marks along the juncture of Jim's neck and shoulder.

"Oh, god," Jim moaned. He pulled Blair's mouth back up to his.

Blair kissed his way to Jim's ear. "Hey, lover," he whispered as he kissed and licked it.

"Hmmm?" was all Jim could manage.

"I want you," Blair told him.

"You have me," Jim assured him.

"I want your cock in my ass," Blair leered. Jim stared at him. "I wanna ride your cock."

Jim grinned. "Think you can handle it?" he asked.

"It'll be fun finding out, won't it?"

Blair looked around, his brow wrinkled. He smiled and got off the bed. He dug around in his suitcase before pulling out a tube of green gel. "Lube," he said, coming back to the bed.

"What is it?" Jim asked.

"Aloe vera gel," Blair said. "Wanna help or wanna watch?"

Jim took the tube. "Turn around," he ordered.

Blair turned and raised his ass. "So pretty," Jim said as he rubbed it. "All mine."

Jim coated his fingers then slipped one into that waiting hole. He heard Blair sigh as he gently pumped it in and out. By the time he was up to three fingers, Blair was rocking back to meet his fingers.

Jim pulled his fingers out and lightly popped Blair's ass. "Get me ready," he said.

Blair turned around. Picking up the tube, he licked the head of Jim's cock and kissed it, making Jim hiss. He quickly lubed Jim then straddled his hips. Jim held his cock as Blair eased himself down. There was a brief flash of pain as the head entered but it passed quickly.

"Easy, baby," Jim whispered, "nice and slow."

Blair leaned forward and placed his fingers on Jim's nipples. "Don't want easy, nice or slow," he growled.

Before Jim could figure out what Blair meant, Blair twisted his nipples, causing Jim to scream at the sensation and pain. As he did, he thrust his hips up, impaling Blair on his cock. Blair cried out but in pleasure.

"You little shit," Jim managed to chuckle once his hips were back on the bed.

"Oh, yeah," Blair whispered, his eyes closing for a moment. He opened them and looked at Jim. "Now fuck me," he smiled.

And Jim did.

They both knew this wouldn't last long. Blair knew he would have trouble walking the next day but didn't care. It was too good to slow down.

Jim wrapped his hand around Blair's leaking cock, pumping it in time with his thrust. He could feel the tremors running through Blair's body.

"Come on, baby, let it go," he growled. "Come for me. Come on my cock while I pound your ass. Milk my cock."

"Oh, god, Jim!" Blair shouted. His cock began spurting his cream across Jim.

Three more thrusts and Jim shouted himself as his cream filled Blair's ass. It felt so good. It was like coming home for both men.

When Jim's breathing returned to what passed as normal, he noticed that Blair was swaying above him. He reached up and pulled the young man down, easing him off his softening cock then laying him on the bed.

Jim snagged a shirt and cleaned them off as best he could then dropped it on the floor. They could shower later. He reached out and pulled Blair to him. Blair snuggled close.

"Blair?" Jim asked.

"Hmmm?" Blair managed to open his eyes and looked at Jim.

"I love you," Jim said quietly.

"I know you do," Blair smiled. "I love you, too."

"Together forever."

"Forever and always."

They closed their eyes and went to sleep.

Steve gently opened the door and walked into Jesse's room. Mark was inside examining the young doctor. "How's he doing?" Steve asked.

"He's doing fine," Mark assured his son. "He was awake briefly in recovery but he'll sleep most of the night."

"Thanks, Dad," Steve told him. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost him."

"Are you in love with him?" Mark asked point blank.

"With a little encouragement, I could be head over heels," Steve smiled. "We're already loving him wouldn't be difficult at all."

"Have you eaten at all today?" Mark asked.

"Not since you made breakfast this morning," Steve admitted. "I've been working. I went to Katz's place. I wanted to see what was there that someone would kill for."

"I've got a few more patients to see," Mark said. "When I get through, I'll bring us something to eat and you can tell me what you've found."

"You're on," Steve nodded. Mark patted his arm and left the room.

Steve moved a chair next to Jesse's bed and sat down. Reaching over, he took Jesse's hand and held it in his.

"I really ought to paddle your ass for going to Katz's house," Steve said, quietly. "Then again, you and Blair had no way of knowing that this would happen. And I am so damned glad you're going to be all right.

"My heart wants to wrap you up and put you away so you'll be safe. My head knows that's not possible. It's a dangerous world out there and I can't keep the people I love safe all the time. All I can do is watch out for them and keep putting the bad guys behind bars.

"You know, when you get out of here, I want you to come back to my place so I can take care of you. I've got some personal days coming I can take. You'll probably get sick of me before it's over."

"Not possible," a quiet voice said.

Steve looked up quickly and saw Jesse looking at him. "Hello," he smiled. "Welcome back to the world of the conscious."

"Thanks," Jesse said. "Please tell me you haven't been here all day."

"Dad wouldn't let me," Steve told him. He reached up and brushed the hair out of Jesse's eyes. "I've been here for about half an hour."

"Good," Jesse smiled. "These chairs are hell."

"Tell me about it." Steve was quiet for a moment. "You know," he finally said, "Dad asked me if I was in love with you."

"What did you tell him?" Jesse asked.

"That with a little encouragement, I could be."

"Consider yourself encouraged," Jesse smiled. "Right now, I don't have the strength to do much more than that."

"It's enough," Steve smiled back. "Do you need some encouragement?"

"Not a bit," Jesse said. He moved a little and winced.

"You're hurting," Steve said, noticing how pale his young lover was.

"It's okay," Jesse assured him.

"You want to tell me what happened at Dr. Katz's house?"

"Not much to tell, really," Jesse said. "We got to the house, walked up to the door. Blair opened it and someone started shooting." Jesse's eyes went wide. "Ohmigod! Blair! Is he all right?"

"He's fine," Steve assured him. "He and Jim are back at the hotel." Jesse just nodded then closed his eyes.

Steve took Jesse's hand. Nothing was said as Jesse drifted back to sleep. He knew Steve would be watching over him.

Blair stretched and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Jim propped up on his elbow watching him. He gave the detective a sleepy smile.

"Hi," Blair said. "You been awake long?"

"A few minutes," Jim smiled. "Just indulging in my favorite pastime."

"And that would be?"

"Blair watching," Jim said, straight-faced.

"Blair watching?" the watchee asked.

"Oh, yeah." Jim was serious. "Blair watching is an art. It takes a lot of work and dedication."

"Are you skilled at this art?" Blair asked. He wasn't smiling but his eyes were shining bright.

"Very skilled," Jim answered. "Blair watching has attracted a lot of amateurs but they usually don't have the dedication to stay with it for as long as it takes."

"And you do?" Blair asked.

"I consider it a duty and an honor," Jim nodded. "Of course, Blair watching is an ongoing project. It can be time consuming and a thankless job."

Blair reached up and pulled Jim's face to his. "Thank you," he murmured and kissed him.

"But the benefits are wonderful," Jim whispered when the kiss was over.

"Have I told you that I love you?" Blair asked.

"Not since you woke up," Jim pouted. "I'm feeling distinctly unloved."

"Well, we can't have that," Blair insisted. "I love you very much." He kissed Jim again.

"I hope Jesse's all right," Blair said, quietly.

"I'm sure he is," Jim assured him. "Steve said he'd call if anything happened."

Blair was quiet for a moment. "Jim, can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Go ahead."

"You and Steve," he started. "You and Steve were lovers, weren't you?"

"Yes, we were," Jim answered honestly.

"Did you love him?"

"I cared a great deal for him," Jim said, "but we weren't in love. I knew when my leave was over, I would be gone. He knew it, too. We kept in touch but after Peru, we lost touch."

"And the night I spent in the hospital, you two were together." It was a statement.

Jim nodded. "Once more for old time's sake," he admitted. "We both knew it was the last time we'd be together. He has someone else now and I have you."

"He and Jesse are lovers, right?" Blair asked.

"Yeah," Jim sighed. "Last night was their first night together."

"I'm glad they found each other," Blair smiled.

"How about a shower?" Jim suggested. "You can wash my back and I'll wash yours."

"You can wash my back, my front and anything else you want," Blair grinned.

"I love the way you think," Jim chuckled.

"Finally. Someone who loves me for my mind," Blair sighed. "Refreshing."

"Oh, yeah, I love your mind," Jim agreed, "and your ass ain't bad, either."

"Oh, come on." Blair grabbed Jim's hand and led him into the shower.

By the time they got out of the shower, both men were hot and hard. After they climbed out, they dried each other then kissed their way to the bed.

Compared to earlier, this was a gentle coupling. Blair took Jim this time, kneeling between the older man's legs. Blair eased himself into Jim, their eyes looking deep into each other. It was a deep and slow claiming. They came with a sigh instead of a scream.

After a few minutes, Blair got up and cleaned himself then brought a warm washcloth to take care of Jim. After that, Blair climbed back into bed and they drifted off to sleep again.

Mark was sitting in his office the next morning when Amanda walked in. "How's Jesse?" she asked, walking up to the desk.

"Doing all right," Mark smiled. "I'm going up to check on him in a few minutes." He looked at her. "You have news for me?"

She handed him the folder. "I finished the autopsy," she said.

"And?" He took out his glasses and put them on then opened the file.

"He died of heart failure," she told him.

"Did he have a history of heart problems," he asked.

"Not according to his doctor," she said. "He said for a man who believed wholeheartedly in wine, women and song, he was remarkably healthy." She pointed with her chin. "Check out the tox screen."

Mark pulled it out and read it. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"I'm running it again just to make sure," she smiled, "but I'd bet the farm on it."

"Very good," he smiled back. He glanced at his watch. "I've got rounds and I'm sure Steve will want to see this."

When Mark walked into Jesse's room, he saw Steve standing by the window drinking a cup of coffee. "Please tell me you haven't been here all night," he said.

Steve smiled and shook his head. "I went home shortly after you left," he said. "I got here about an hour ago."

"Glad to hear it," Mark said. "Exhausting yourself won't help Jesse."

"I know," Steve acknowledged. "Dad, I told Jesse last night he was staying with me while he recovered. I'm going to take a few days off to take care of him."

Mark smiled gently. "He's going to be just fine."

There was a groan from the direction of Jesse's bed. Steve and Mark turned to see Jesse's eyes blink open then walked over to him.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Mark asked. He walked to the other side of the bed.

"Better than I was twelve hours ago," Jesse told him.

"Let's take a look at you," Mark said.

He was examining Jesse when the door opened and Jim and Blair walked in. "You want us to wait outside?" Jim asked.

"It's all right," Jesse said.

"You doing all right?" Blair asked as they walked over and stood by Steve.

"Am I doing all right?" Jesse asked Mark.

"You're doing just fine," Mark told him and the others.

"Glad to hear it," Blair grinned. "You scared the hell out of me, man."

"Sorry," Jesse said. "It wasn't my idea."

"It never is," Jim sighed.

"That wasn't my fault," Blair protested.

"You've been shot?" Jesse asked.

"Shot, kidnapped, hit over the head, drugged," Blair sighed himself. "Jumped out of a plane and off a cliff. I could go on."

"Please don't," Jim stopped him.

"Changing the subject," Mark said. He picked up the file he'd brought with him. "Amanda finished the autopsy." He handed the file to Steve.

"And?" Jim asked.

"He died of heart failure," Mark smiled. "The blow to the head didn't kill him."

"Could it have caused his heart to stop?" Blair asked.

"Not likely in a healthy man," Steve said. "So what caused it?"

"Keep reading," Mark told him.

Steve read it then handed it to Jim. "It tells us how but not who," Jim said, reading.

"And I have an idea who that might be," Steve said. "I went to Katz's house yesterday and I think I found what our shooter was looking for. A stack of video tapes."

"And I bet they correspond to the files we found in his office," Jim smiled.

"With one exception," Steve told him. "There was one name on the tapes that wasn't in the files."

"Which means the killer knew about the files and managed to get it," Blair said.

"But we interrupted her when she was looking for the tapes," Jesse said.

"Jim, why don't you and I go down to the station," Steve said. "I want to check on a few things."

"So do I," Mark said. "I think I have something that may fill in a few of the blanks."

"I'll stay with Jesse for a while," Blair said. "We can trade cop stories."

"Chief," Jim warned.

"Bye, guys," Blair waved. Jim, Steve and Mark left the room.

"You and Jim know each other long?" Jesse asked.

"Almost four years," Blair said. "We met when I started as an observer at the police department. Jim didn't have a partner so they put me with him."

"And how long have you been lovers?" Jesse asked point blank.

"Almost as long as you and Steve," Blair shot back.

"That obvious?"

"Not really," Blair shrugged. "I guessed and Jim confirmed it. He and Steve are old friends."

"You mean lovers," Jesse corrected him.

"It was a long time ago," Blair said. "Steve is with you."

"And Jim is with you," Jesse added.

"And all is right with our little corner of the world," Blair smiled.

"Amen."

A couple of hours later, Jim looked at Steve as he hung up the phone. "Well?" he asked.

"Dad wants us to meet him at the clinic," Steve said. "He wants us to bring Dr. King with us. He says he thinks he has the last piece of the puzzle.

"Are you sure your dad's not a cop?" Jim asked.

"He comes by it honestly," Steve smiled. "My grandfather was a cop. He's always helping with our cases."

"Whether you ask him to or not," Jim said.

"You got it."

When Steve and Jim got to the clinic with Dr. King and two uniformed officers, Mark was already there and Blair was with him. They were in Dr. Katz's office along with Drs. Simmons and Miller and Victoria Newton.

"What's going on here?" Dr. Miller asked. "Some of us do have patients."

"And there's a murder to solve," Steve said.

"I thought you had," Dr. Simmons said, glancing at Dr. King.

"Not quite," Mark said. "You see, Dr. King admitted to hitting Dr. Katz."

"Which is why Det. Sloan arrested her," Victoria pointed out.

"True," Steve agreed, "but it wasn't the blow to the head that killed him."

"What?!" Dr. King exclaimed.

"Your blow to the head didn't kill him," Mark said. "No, Dr. Katz was killed by a lethal injection."

"This was a crime of opportunity," Jim said.

"No offense, Teresa," Dr. Simmons said, "but that doesn't mean she didn't do it."

"True," Mark said. "Dr. King said their fight was verbal, that she didn't throw anything and she didn't lock the door when she left."

"So she made a mistake or lied," Victoria said. "I had to unlock the door and the police saw the signs of a fight."

"Yes, we did," Steve nodded, "but why lie? Whether or not she locked the door and threw things around wasn't going to make a difference."

"But the fact remains that the blow didn't kill him," Mark said. "This wasn't a premeditated murder. Well, killing him might have been but killing him now wasn't."

"Meaning what?" Dr. Miller asked.

"A scenario," Mark smiled. "After Dr. King leaves, our murderer comes in. She sees Dr. Katz unconscious on the floor. She checks to see if he is alive. Finding out he is, she goes back out. When she returns, he injects him with a drug. Because he's already unconscious, it's only a matter of minutes before he dies. It's after that she makes the room look like there was a fight."

"So you're saying that the killer has medical knowledge?" Dr. King asked.

"Yes," Mark said. "And she was also being blackmailed."

"Well, that leaves me out," Victoria said.

"No, it doesn't," Steve said.

"I thought I recognized you," Mark said. "I covered for a friend of mine at a free clinic. You were one of the nurses."

"We did a little checking," Steve said. "You were a nursing student but you had to drop out at the first of your fourth year. The nursing school director remembered you. She said you were the brightest student she'd ever seen, top of the class."

"I wasn't being blackmailed," Victoria said.

"I think you were," Mark said, looking at her. "I think Dr. Katz found out and was blackmailing you."

"You can't prove that," Victoria stated.

"I think we can," Jim said. "We found the files Dr. Katz kept on the people he was blackmailing."

"Was there one on me?" Victoria asked.

"We didn't find one," Steve admitted, "but we did find something else."

"And what would that be?" Dr. Simmons asked.

"Dr. Katz liked to video tape his bed partners," Steve told her. "The only ones he kept, however, were of the women he was blackmailing." He looked at Victoria. "That's why you were at his house yesterday. You were looking for those tapes."

"When Jesse and I got there yesterday, you thought we knew about the tapes," Blair said. "You shot at us and hit Jesse."

"We searched your car," Steve said. "I'm sure the gun we found there will match the bullet they took out of Jesse."

"He deserved to die," Victoria said through gritted teeth.

"Because he was blackmailing you?" Jim asked.

"You didn't find out why I dropped out of nursing school," Victoria stated. "My father had a heart attack. He owned a small medical supply business. He had several doctors as advisors. One day, the auditors showed up at the door. It seems the company funds were being embezzled. The evidence pointed to my father. He was arrested and jailed. He was out on bail when he had a heart attack.

"He was cleared after his death. Dr. Katz was his chief accuser. There was some evidence that he was the embezzler but it couldn't be proven.

"When we started sleeping together, he bragged about it. I told him I'd go to the police and he laughed. He said the statute of limitations had run out and if I said anything to the police, he'd have me arrested for nursing without a license."

"Victoria Newton, you're under arrest for the murder of Paul Katz and the attempted murder of Jesse Travis," Steve said. He motioned to an officer. "Cuff her, read her her rights and take her downtown." The officers led her away.

"What about me?" Dr. King asked.

"That's up to the district attorney," Steve told her, "but you'll probably be home tonight."

"That would be great," the doctor said with a smile.

"Well, this has been fun," Dr. Simmons smirked, "but we have patients to see." She and Dr. Miller left.

"I've got work to do at the precinct," Steve said. "Dad, I'll see you at the hospital later."

"Give us a call," Jim told Steve as he left.

"Will do."

"Come on," Mark said. "I'll give you a lift back to your car."

Four days later

A gentle breeze was blowing off the ocean, cooling the midafternoon sun. A small group of people were sitting on Mark's deck. Amanda was sitting next to Mark and Blair was sitting between Jim's legs on a padded bench. Across from Mark, Steve reclined on a chaise lounge, his feet resting on either side. Jesse was stretched out on the lounge, resting against Steve's chest.

Jesse had come home from the hospital that morning. Rather, he'd come to Steve's home. Steve had kept his promise and taken a week off, starting that day. Steve put him to bed the minute they walked in. Jesse had protested but Steve gently kissed him and told him to listen to the man who loved him. Jesse smiled, crawled into bed and slept for six hours.

"So when are you heading back to Washington?" Amanda asked Jim and Blair.

"Day after tomorrow," Jim said. "It'll give us a couple of days to rest before going back to work."

"Speaking of work," Blair said. "What are you going to tell Simon about our vacation?"

"As little as possible," Jim smiled and kissed the top of Blair's head.

"Who's Simon?" Mark asked.

"My captain," Jim explained.

"If we tell them about the murder, I wonder who'll win the pool," Blair mused.

"The pool?" Steve asked.

"Whenever Blair and I go on vacation, there's always a pool," Jim chuckled. "They bet on what kind of trouble we'll get into and how long it will take."

"I take that to mean you two get into a lot of trouble," Mark said.

"It's not like we go looking for it or anything," Blair told him. "It just seems to find us."

"Repeatedly," Jim added.

Amanda looked at Jesse. He had turned on his side, pulled his legs up and was lying with his eyes shut. "Jesse, are you all right?" she asked.

"Just fine," he smiled. He opened his eyes. "More than fine." He looked up at Steve who leaned down and kissed him.

The young doctor looked at Amanda. "And I want to thank you for all your help," he said.

"Glad I could help," she smiled.

"Next summer, you'll have to come to Cascade," Blair said. "It's not as big as Los Angeles but there's plenty to do."

"We may take you up on that," Jesse said. "I've never been to Washington."

Mark held up his glass. "A toast," he said. "To old friends and new ones. May we stay together no matter how far apart we are."

"Here, here," everyone said.

The group stayed well into the evening. They ate and talked, reveling in the friendship that flowed between them. It was a vacation that would not be soon forgotten.

The End.