TITLE: THREE LITTLE WORDS 3: BARREN FLOWERS

AUTHOR: PEJA

FANDOM: The Sentinel

PAIRING: Blair/OMC, Blair/Jim Jim/wait till ya see

RATING: Overall...NC-17/bondage This one R, for Nude Blair

SUMMARY: Can love grow where there is no trust

FEEDBACK: it got ya this one, didn't it. Want more, point me a direction

DISCLAIMER: not mine, but I could do real interesting things to them If they'd reconsider.

ARCHIVE: PEJA's Ravings. Others ask, I'm as easy as Blair in hooker mode.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is an AU. Jim fathered Alex' child in Peru and is now raising the babe, sans Sandburg.

Stupid thought of the day: Three little words. They rip you apart. Start a flame that burns away your soul. Destroy the world you built and crush you beneath them

"Eat," Jim instructed firmly, setting a plate of steak, hash browns and eggs before his prisoner. The man glowered up at him. Jim's smile was a tender plea. "Come on, eat. For me?"

Blair lifted his left hand, glaring pointedly at the cuff that secured him to the chair. "How long am I gonna be treated like this, Ellison?"

Jim grinned. "You're my prisoner, remember, Sandburg? Prostitution was still a crime in Cascade last time I checked. You talked a deal. Even admitted to owning the brothel. That ups the charges."

Blair shook his head, disbelieving. "You're really going through with this?"

Jim shrugged. "I'm a cop. You broke the law."

Blair slumped down in the chair, his brows dipping into a deep scowl. "You're a real bastard, Ellison."

Jim curled a finger under Blair's chin, forcing his head back and leaned close, breathing his words against Blair's lips. "You love me, Darwin." He brushed a sweet kiss over Blair's parted lips. "Get a clue." Straightening, he pointed at the food. "Eat." 

Sculpting his features into a picture of innocence, Blair stared at the plate for a heartbeat, then plucked up the cooling steak and tore off a chuck with his teeth.

Jim's jaw dropped at the barbaric behavior.

Blue eyed innocence glowed up at him as Blair tossed the meat back on his plate. His lips parted in a devilish grin and he studiously wiped the charred grease off his fingers on the pelted fur covering his chest.

"What.." Jim demanded, finding his voice at last. "Are you doing?"

Picking up a mouthful of egg, Blair slanted him a sardonic glance. "Eating. You said I should eat, didn't ya?" He stuffed the slippery morsel into his grinning mouth and coated the grease over his left nipple.

Jim's mouth flapped like a fish out of water for a moment.

Blair's hand moved toward his plate again.

"No." Jim snatched the plate away. "New house rule, dammit." He quickly cut the food into manageable portions and set the plate before his antagonist again. "Use your silver, Chief, or by God, I'll....." Catching Blair's mocking gaze he ran out of words and floundered. "You've...changed, Blair." he said softly, tears shimmering in his eyes. "I...don't know you anymore."

Blair tilted his head so his curls fell forward, curtaining him, then peeked kittenishly around the wild mass "You know me, Ellison," he rasped. "Vice wasn't so long ago you forget how it is. You worked the streets. Well, pretended to. Yeah, you know me."

Jim went down on one knee, drawing Blair into his embrace.

The younger man stiffened and shoved him away. "Don't," he rasped, wrapping his arms around his waist as best he could with one hand cuffed to the arm of a chair. "Don't pity me, damn you. I never asked for it. I never asked you to rescue me from myself." His eyes were blue flame as he met Jim's. "And I sure as hell don't want you to."

"Blair?"

"Don't, man. I knew what I was doing when I walked away. I knew what I was doing when I asked Robert to set me up. I knew there was no going back."

"You're wrong."

"Wrong, am I? What, you think you can bring me home? To your home and everything will be back to the way it was? You think Simon's gonna put me back to work with you after this? You think the guys in Major Crimes are gonna turn a blind eye to what I've been doing all this time?" Blair heaved a bitter laugh. "You are fucking crazy man."

"It could happen that way," Jim said softly. "Simon can make sure everyone knows you were undercover. He can...."

"Ah ain't that sweet." Blair drawled, contempt shining from under dark brows. "The whole department is gonna pull a cover up. Shag the rest of the world. For me." His gaze hardened. "And what do I have to do for them? Private shag meets. Pass around the little rentboy for the weekly freebie. Or is it gonna be a daily shag. That what you got in mind, Ellison? Oh, no wait, you want the rentboy in your bed. So how often you gonna want me to roll over and offer it up to ya, best bud?" He sprawled in the chair, spreading his legs to Jim's view. "Want to play with the goods now, do ya?"

"Blair, stop it."

"What's the matter, Ellison?" Blair glanced down his body to his deflated cock. "Oh, ain't the little soldier hard enough for ya?" He wrapped his greasy fingers around the limp flesh and stroke it once twice. "Ah, not interested yet, but you can fix that, big guy." His glance attacked Jim's. "Hit me, big guy. Come on. A couple slaps ought to get me purrin'. A punch in the gut will bring me to attention and we can get this thing rocking. You can do it. Hell, you want to do it. You want to beat the fuck out of me, don't ya?"

"Stop it," Jim snapped, his hands curling and uncurling.

"Don't ya?" he demanded again, his voice raising.

"Blair...."

"Don't ya, Ellison?" He shouted.

"Yes," he snarled. "Yes, damn you. Every time I think of you fucking some bastard in a dirty slum hotel. Every time I think of you cuddled up in that fucking Nick bastard's arms, telling him the things you should be telling me, yes, I want to beat hell out of you."

"I betrayed you, huh? That the way you see it?" Blair leaned back, smiling his satisfaction. "So let me go."

Jim shook his head, chuckling. "Ain't gonna happen that way, Chief."

Blair threw him an angry glare. "Nick isn't gonna take this lying down. And neither is Robert. You know that, don't ya?"

"I'm counting on it."

The breath hitched in Blair's lungs and he lifted his lashes to make full contact with Jim's icy stare. "You leave them out of this, you bastard."

"I doubt that's gonna be possible," Jim said levelly. "You said they wouldn't take your disappearance lying down. They sure as hell will try to find out what happened to you. Try to rescue you. Only way I see to prevent their interference is to drop 'em in a deep hole."

"No," Blair rasped. "Don't involve them in our problems."

A cold smile tugged at Jim’s lips and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't see as I have any other choice. Long as that option is open to you your going to refuse to see reason."

Blair glared up at his captor for several heartbeats until defeat hunched his shoulders and his head fell forward, his long russet curls shielding his washed out features.. "What do you want me to do."

Jim's cell phone dropped onto the table before Blair. Blair glanced back up at Jim, his eyes wide and pleading.

"Make the call, Sandburg."

His tongue darted out, sweeping across dry lips. "Jim...."

Jim slammed his fists into the table, glaring into Blair's startled eyes. "Make the call."

"All...All right." A tear slipped down Blair's cheek. Hand trembling, he lifted the phone and punched in the numbers. "Nick, its me....Yeah, fine....Look, I need you to....Nick, please, listen to me. I'm fine....No, no, I'm not going to be there. Cancel the damn thing....Dammit, Nick, I said no. I changed my mind. Don't want to take the big C step...No, Nick, no, I'm not coming back to the office. I'm.... going back to Jim....Nick. Nick, are you there? Please, Nick, I'm sorry. Forgive....." His voice stopped. The hand holding the phone dropped weakly, slamming against the edge of the table.

And Blair went absolutely still.

"Blair."

The cuffed man didn't move. Barely breathed.

"Blair," Jim repeated, going down on one knee next to his captive. "You did the right thing. You had to break it...."

"Right thing?" Blair rasped. "For who? Nick has always treated me good. He's had my back every step of the way. Never asked for more than I was willing to give. Can you say the same?"

Jim reeled, staring at the dejected man. "You love him."

Blair lifted damp eyes. "You're such a jerk, Ellison."

"So are you going to admit it or not?"

"Love is over-rated." Blair shook his head. "I like being pampered by someone who really cares for me. Nick cares..." He gave a short bitter laugh. "Cared."

"Blair, I care about you."

"You?" Blair laughed dryly again, shaking his head. "I don't know if you even know what that means. With you it's all about possessing me. Damn you, you couldn't even let me die without dragging me back. I thought you did it because you wanted us to be together, but I was wrong about that, wasn't I? You said you weren't ready to take that ride with me. So why didn't you just let me go and be done with the whole damn thing?"

"You're talking crazy."

"Am I? I don't think so. I believe you were so desperate to keep me that you couldn't even let death win. Couldn't even release your hold over me for something as natural as dying."

"You're death wasn't natural. Alex drowned you. You..."

"...Should have died." Blair snarled. "You scammed a dead man, Ellison. You didn't love me when you brought me back. You just didn't want to give up your toy. Not that you wanted to play with it, oh no. You made sure I was recovering then off you dashed after the next adventure. The next toy you wanted to possess. And you got her too, didn't you? You fucked her. Got her pregnant and zim zam zoom, a new toy for you to possess."

"Shut the hell up, Sandburg." Jim snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Blair smirked up at him. "The truth sucks doesn't it?"

Jim grasped Blair's chin in a near crushing hold, forcing the younger man to meet his eyes. "I love you, Sandburg. Like it or not. I do love you and you love me. I'm not about to let you ruin both our lives out of spite. You reading me on this, Darwin?"

Blair jerked out of Jim's grasp, but held the other man's gaze with defiance for a few beats before he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "All right," he said softly. "What do I have to cling to anymore anyway. So, yeah, I admit it. I love you. I've always loved you, damn you."

Jim smiled. "Now was that so hard?"

Blair's gaze dropped away. "No....yes....Jesus, Jim. I don't think I could handle it if you...."

"Hold up, Darwin." Jim tilted his head, listening to something outside. "Damn, there's a car coming."

"Who....?"

Jim's brows scrunched up in concentration. "Rafe. Damn, why couldn't he have waited just a little longer."

"What difference...."

"Don't ask, okay?" Jim said, quickly uncuffing Blair and tossing him a blanket. "Cover up, Chief. I don't want anyone oogling my lover. Not even Rafe."

"Not even....." Blair scuttled into the blanket, wrapping it tightly around his nudity. "Jim, what...."

Jim waved away the questions. "Later, Sandburg, Okay?" He spun on his heel and went to the door before the intruder could knock.

Rafe bustled inside like a whirlwind of excitement, his dark eyes glowing at the sight of Ellison. "Hey, man." he sighed, setting a baby basket on the hall table and turning to the bigger man at his side. "I have to tell you, Ellison, Little Bla....BJ is something of a handful when his daddy is away."

Ellison grinned, slipping an arm around Rafe's waist and lifting the blanket to check on his son. "Too much for ya, Rafe?"

Blair's eyes widened, taking in Jim's intimate handling of the other detective. The color washed out of his face and he made a choking sound in his throat.

Jim shot him a quick glance, then took a quick step in his direction.

"No." Blair's hand shot out defensively. "God, don't you touch me."

"Blair...."

"You bastard." Blair's horrified glance darted over Rafe. "You're his lover?"

Rafe grinned up at Jim. "Hey, Blair, don't get all bent out of shape over this. We've talked about your coming home. You gotta know...."

"You did it to me again." Blair wrapped his arms around his waist, puddling on the floor. "You fucked me over again."

END PART 3

AUTHOR'S END NOTE: I don't know where Blair's ideas are coming from, but he truly seems to believe what he's saying. What do you think?