This is a little something about friendship. Susn...hope you like it! :)

Thanks to S., D., and N., who are always there.

RUBY TUESDAY
by Shelly

"Man, you are spontaneity-impaired!"

Blair Sandburg grinned down at Detective James Ellison who was sitting at his desk, peering over a mountain of paperwork.

Ellison looked up at his friend, he of the cheerful countenance and boundless optimism.

The younger man was standing directly in front of Jim's desk, hands spread wide, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His whole body was in pleading stance.

"Chief, do the words "cat" and "swing a" mean anything to you?" Jim swept his hand over the towering piles of paper on his desk. "I just can't make it today. I've *got* to get this done." He underlined his words with a not-so-gentle pat on the files that were going to fill his day.

Sandburg didn't give up. It wasn't in his nature. He dove into the conversation again, with renewed vigour. "Jim. Man. You have *got* to be kidding me. You need some time off. You're missing the point here, man. This is life." He waved his hands in the direction of the windows. "This is *not* life." He frowned down at the reports on Jim's desk.

Jim watched as Blair began pacing. He tried to hide his grin as his friend launched into the main battle.

"Behold Carl Sagan's cosmic calendar, wherein the entire history of the universe is compressed into a single year. If the Big Bang occurs in the first second of the first days of January, human beings appear around a minute to midnight on New Year's Eve. In between, the planets have formed, the earth has cooled, life has brewed in the priomordial soup and millions of species have perished. And we show up just in time to sing 'Auld Lang Syne'." Blair took a breath. It was a small breath, Jim noted. Perhaps the lecture was coming to an end.

"So...time, man. We're running on borrowed time. And hey, what is the Sentinel of the city doing? Paperwork!" Blair shook his head in mock sorrow.

From his office, Simon Banks, Captain of Major Crimes, watched the interplay between his two friends, a wide smile upon his face. He lit a cigar and studied Ellison who was pressing the palm of his hand against his forehead. The Sentinel was losing the battle. Simon would send in the reinforcements shortly. Ellison needed rescuing.

Rescue. The word twined back through his memory. Blowing cigar smoke into the air, Simon nodded to himself. Jim had come a long way. When the detective had first experienced the enhancement of his senses, he had damn near gone over the edge. No one knew what was going on, and the more Jim failed to find an answer, the more he became an uncompromising loner. Then came the rescuer. Blair Sandburg. Anthropologist. Graduate student at Cascade University. Sandburg was just as uncompromising in his efforts to help Ellison gain control of his senses. He had the intensity and vision to make it happen. The concept of a Sentinel held no fear for them now. A watchman for the city of Cascade, Jim had come to embrace his abilities and accept the responsibilities that came with them. And Blair.. Blair had become part of the landscape of Jim's conscience.

Simon took another puff on his cigar, lazily watching the smoke rise and dissipate. Swiveling his chair slightly, he could see that Sandburg had become even more animated - if that was possible. It was time to send in the troops.

"Chief. It's Monday. I've got all the catch-up from the weekend cases. I *can't* go!"

Jim looked up gratefully as Simon loomed behind Blair. "Simon, help me out here, man."

In one fluid movement, Blair spun around to continue his plea to a new audience. He took a breath and burst forth again upon his mission.

"Simon. Captain. Sir. There's this great display on at MacKinley Field. All sorts of

New Age stuff. I mean, there could be something that applies to Jim. Some of these natural remedies could be the way to go for his head colds and stuff..." He stopped.

Simon was shaking his head. Blair looked up at the much taller man and knew at once that he had lost. Simon continued shaking his head.

The smile on Blair's face dimmed, but not for long. He was lit by adrenalin and it took more than a small disappointment to keep him down. He sighed, but gave up the fight gracefully.

"Fine, then. I'll go. And I'll come back with some glorious, enlightened woman who recognizes that *I* know how to live." He tucked a stray curl behind his ear and nodded wisely at both of his friends.

Jim burst out laughing. "Chief, the last time you 'found' what you thought was an enlightened woman, you came back with Sue-ssan. She'd added the extra 's' in her name to increase the spiritual vibrations. It was her second name change. During her "I-am-a-Navaho-Indian stage" she changed her name to Running Water. But she should have changed it to Drip!"

Simon remembered the woman in question. "It *was* a sad case, Sandburg. I mean, she was wearing the kind of dress that you had to be poured into...too bad nobody had been brave enough to say 'when'!"

Dropping his head onto his arms, Jim collapsed into laughter. Simon was grinning. Blair released the full force of his luminous smile on both of them.

"What can I say? I try not to be led into temptation...but let's face it...I could find the way blindfolded." He swept past Simon and Jim and turned back at the door.

"I'm away to be immersed in enlightenment. And you, gentlemen, should be arrested on driving offences ...for running over dogma with your karma." With a twinkle in his eye, and a spring in his step, he left his friends laughing.

____________________________________________________________

The loft was very quiet. It had started to rain lightly. Silhouetted against the French doors that led onto the balcony, Jim Ellison stretched his powerful frame, releasing some of the tension of a day filled with paperwork. Looking out at the shifting sky of torn clouds, he wondered where Blair was. Maybe he *had* found the woman of his dreams at this damned New Age thing. Jim grinned.

The glass was dripping, misted. One moment he was standing, not seeing out, only half listening, staring at the approaching night; the next, without warning, he was caught by it: the bruised summer light, the musical sub-text of the rain on the skylights. He loved this part of being a Sentinel. The ability to look beyond what was there and *feel* a place. Some people could look out from this same vantage point and see Cascade scrolled out as far as the eye could see; cramped, crotchety streets beneath an irritable sky. But for him, the sights and sounds embroidered a world infinite in its fascination.

Street noises washed in like ripples, and amongst them, the familiar footsteps of Blair Sandburg. Grad student in Anthropology, advisor to the Cascade Police Department, and shaman to Jim's Sentinel...Blair was all of these. But most of all, he was a friend.

Every now and then, Jim remembered to thank his lucky stars that Blair had appeared on his horizon just when he was needed.

Moving swiftly to the door, Jim stopped and canted his head. He extended his senses. Blair was talking to someone. Not another Sue-ssan. Please, not another one. He reached to unlock the door but then dropped his hand to his side.

The door rattled for a moment as Blair slotted the key into the hole and twisted the handle. He opened the door and stood framed in the light from the hallway.

He was not alone.

"Oh," he said intelligently.

"Oh!" responded Jim, with an equally quick wit.

Blair was wet. His long, dark hair glistened and his damp face shone. Cupped in his hands he held a tiny kitten.

"Ah, yes. This would be Sue-ssan." Jim nodded at the mewling kitten.

Despite being wet, Blair chuckled and had the grace to look a little sheepish.

Suddenly, from behind Blair, a face peered up at the looming Detective Ellison.

It was a small boy with blonde curls and huge eyes. "You're big." He nodded up at Jim and then tugged at Blair. "He's *really* big, Blair."

Before a cohesive thought could break the surface of Jim's mind, another face appeared, this time from behind the little boy.

The young girl was about seven years old, Jim judged. Her fair hair was very light, and her eyes were a misting confusion of hazel and green. With her fragile features and the reserve that she showed, there was something almost unearthly about her.

Blair's eyes widened in a silent plea. He placed a protective arm around the little boy.

The girl had retreated once again behind him.

Living with Blair had taught Jim to take almost any situation in his stride. He should have expected something like this. Send the kid out on a mission on his own, and he tried to save the world singlehandedly. Squatting down next to the boy, he stuck out his hand. "I'm Jim."

The boy looked at him squarely and confidently. He placed his small hand in Jim's and announced, "I'm Michael...and that's Becca. She's my big sister. Gran calls her Ruby 'cos she's precious..so I do too. She doesn't say much."

Jim winked at Michael. "Well, Ruby is lucky she has a brother who can do the talking for her, isn't she? Now...how would you like a nice, warm bath and then something to eat?"

He ushered the damp group inside, turning up his nose at the musty smell of wet kitten.

After running the bath for the two children, Blair came out to face the music. He had changed into a warm, dry sweater and stood in front of the fire, letting the heat seep through him. He waited.

"You know, Chief. I kind of expected you to come back with one of those self-help books... 'What Your Navel Says About You'...something like that...but you've outdone yourself, kid. I mean, are there any strays *left* out there?" Jim softened his words with a smile.

"Jim, I can explain. I didn't know what else to do with them." Blair's face was forlorn.

The Sentinel had all the reasons ready; all the reasons why they couldn't stay. But he couldn't do it. His friend looked so solemn, and, not far under the surface, just a little vulnerable. This unexpected lilt of emotions affected him quietly. He leaned back on the sofa, lacing his fingers behind his head. "Explain away, Chief."

Blair sighed. It all seemed too complicated. Sitting on the floor with arms wrapped around his knees, he faced Jim with an unfathomable expression in his blue eyes.

"I was just wandering around the Fair...it had some pretty cool stuff, man. It was getting late and this woman came up to me. She had the two kids with her. She was kinda nervous and she'd been drinking..but she seemed nice enough. Anyway, she asked me if I could keep an eye on the kids while she collected a carving she had bought from one of the booths. She wanted the guy to take it to her car. So I waited. And it was getting dark. We went to the carving guy and he said he hadn't seen her.We kept looking but she was gone. The whole place was packing up to go and I didn't know what else to do. The kids were cold. So I came home." He spread his arms wide in appeasement.

Jim smiled at the word 'home'. Blair had spent most of his life in a nomadic existence. He knew what it was *not* to have a home. He was obviously empathising wildly with the kids.

"And the cat?" Jim eyed the mottled bundle that had curled up on Blair's bare foot.

"Ummm...yeah, the cat. She kinda adopted the kids while we were waiting and I didn't have the heart to leave her behind. She'll be no problem, Jim." Blair picked up the kitten and it immediately nestled into his arms, purring contentedly.

Jim sat up slowly. "Well, Lancelot, you take your Guinevere here and rustle up something for her and the kids. I'm going to talk to the kids and then I'm going to call Simon."

Blair started to speak but Jim held up his hand. "I have to, Chief. You know that. I'll do what I can."

Nodding, Blair cuddled the kitten up to his chin and crooned, "C'mon, baby."

He stood up and headed to the refrigerator to see what could be made from scratch.

By the time that Blair had decided that it might be a good thing to order in, Jim had gathered the two children, settled them on the sofa and had found out some important information. The detective had discovered that Ruby was seven and Michael was six. They only ate ham and pineapple pizza. They were allowed to watch seven hours of television every night and never went to bed before midnight. Sometimes they didn't go to bed at all. Their grandparents were ghosts, their mother was a pirate queen and their father was an important astronaut who once got paid ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. All of these interesting facts were supplied by the very verbose Michael.

Blair gave Jim a 'thumbs up'. "Way to go, man."

Jim cringed inwardly at the question he needed to ask next. "So, Michael. Do you know where your Mommy went?"

Michael was completely unfazed by the query. He didn't seem at all upset about being left with strangers. "She went away. She took us from our Gran and now she's tired of us. I think she went to Hell. That's where Gran said she would go." Jim caught the stricken look on Blair's face and held up a hand to stay any comment. Ruby was pulling at the cuticles of her bitten-down fingernails.

Jim tried another question. "Uh, okay. So, do you both know where you live?"

"Yes," said Michael, emphatically. "We live in Cascade, Washington."

"Ahhh, good," stated Jim, feeling that he was getting somewhere. "Do you know your address? "

Michael once again nodded, setting his curls bouncing. "Yep. We live across the road from the blue house. It's nearly on the corner."

Blair came to join them and tried another tack. "Michael, do you know your phone number? I bet you do!"

Snorting, Michael answered, "Of course I do. It's '9-4-7-6-5-4-6-7-8-1-2-9-6-4-5-eighty eight and eleven.'"

Jim grinned. "I think we might be able to phone ET with that one!"

"I like ET," Michael commented. "I've seen the video six times."

Blair tried again. "Well, can you tell us your Daddy's name?"

"Kevin." The word was whisper soft. Ruby had spoken.

Gentling his smile, Blair crossed his fingers and asked, "Is he in the phonebook?"

"No. He's in the jail," she replied, her voice fading away to nothing.

Jim turned to Michael who had lost interest in the conversation and was piling the pillows up on the sofa to make a fort. Michael was shaking his head. "Well...he played too much golf. Hey, I know the name of the man that was in the house with us. He was Nick."

"Great, Mike. Do you know his last name." Both Jim and Blair willed an answer to come from the boy.

"Yep. Yep, I do. It's Mr Pallyspiariousouskoofa."

"Can you spell that?" Blair asked, wryly.

"No, but *he* can." Michael beamed forth a self-satisfied grin.

"Okaaaayyyyy." Jim raised an eyebrow at Blair and patted Michael on the shoulder.

"That's good work, Michael. Now you guys need to eat, and I'm going to try and find out where your Mommy went. Over to you, Chief."

While Jim spoke quietly on the telephone to Simon, Blair busied himself making up a

Sandburg Super Special Pizza, made from pita bread and the requested ham and pineapple.

Both children looked quizzically at each other as the meal was served up to them with a flourish. Michael wrinkled his nose slightly but a look from Ruby settled the matter. He would eat it...and he would like it. Tentatively taking a bite, he grinned up at Blair, nodded at Ruby and proceeded to devour the meal.

"This is REAL good, Blair. You're a good cook. I think you're almost as good as Gran! Do you know that she can make anything? Can YOU make anything, Blair?"

Michael babbled on, cheerfully unaware of the food rolling around in his mouth like clothes in a front loading washing machine.

Ruby remained silent. Her small, fine fingers picked delicately at the pizza. Occasionally she would glance up at Blair, an unreadable expression in her watchful eyes.

When both children were finished, Ruby collected the plates from the table and carried them to the kitchen. Wordlessly, she held them out to Blair.

"Thanks, Ruby. That's a help." He smiled encouragingly at her. She reminded him of a bird in a coop with the door open. She was afraid to get out and fly.

Her brother had no such difficulty. He leapt forward and pounced upon Blair, giggling uncontrollably. "Tell us a story, Blair. Tell us one about dinosaurs."

With ease, Blair swung the young boy up onto his shoulders. He held out his hand to Ruby. A moment passed. Tentatively, she reached across, slipped her small, warm hand into his, and dropped her gaze to the floor.

Jim was still on the telephone trying to coerce someone on the other end to do a computer search for him. Blair raised a questioning eyebrow and Jim shook his head. Obviously, nothing had been sorted out.

Guiding the children into his bedroom, Blair dropped Michael onto the bed and grinned as irrepressible laughter burst forth again from the boy.

Both children were dressed in t-shirts belonging to Blair. With the hem of the t-shirts reaching down to their toes, they looked almost like they were wearing Edwardian nightshirts.

Michael hung over the edge of the bed and hauled his backpack up onto the bed.

Delving through the contents, he gave a triumphant "Yes," and held aloft a battered, much read book.

"Will you read it to us, Blair? Will you? Gran used to read it to us. Then when Mom took us away, Ruby read it. But tonight...will you?" He held the book towards Blair, who took it carefully and bowed with elaborate politeness.

"It would indeed be my pleasure. Please take a seat, sir...madam..." He gestured to the bed and both children tugged back the covers and snuggled down side by side.

Blair ran a finger across the title of the book. He swallowed the ache of sadness that threatened to choke his words. He began to read.

"'Guess How Much I Love You'. It sounds like it's going to be a great story. Is it your favourite one, you two?"

Two small heads nodded in unison. Michael gripped his sister's hand.

Jim stood in the doorway of Blair's bedroom, his phonecall finished. He watched as Blair read the story about Big Nutbrown Hare and Little Nutbrown Hare competing with each other to explain how much each were loved.

"I love you all the way up to my toes!" Blair reached out and tickled Michael's protruding foot as he turned to the next page. Ruby mouthed the words as Blair read. This story had been told many times before.

"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare." Blair's expressive hands swooped to illustrate the river and the hills. Ruby and Michael were transfixed. Jim was grinning.

The words of the book had a soothing rhythm. It was simple, yet beautifully written. It struck to the core of a child's heart.

Blair turned to the last page and read: "Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon - and back." He was quiet for a moment.

Jim came to the rescue, stepping into the room and taking the book from Blair's hands.

"Wow! A great story! But now....it's time for you guys to go to sleep. And we've got a surprise for you. Your gran is coming to take you home. She's travelling by bus and won't get here until tomorrow night, though."

"REALLY?" Michael's voice was lit with excitement. "We get to stay another day? Cool!"

Ruby tugged at his sleeve to quieten him. She looked up at Jim. "Gran is coming to get us?" Every word was underlined with hope.

Placing the book back into Michael's backpack, Jim nodded. "Yes and yes. So.....off to sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a big day. Goodnight, guys." He nodded to Blair and walked out into the living room.

Blair tucked the blankets around the two children. "Goodnight. Don't let the bed bugs bite! That's what my mom used to say to me." He grinned at them and reached across to turn the lamp off.

"Blair." Ruby's voice was soft. "Could we have the light on? Please. For a little while?"

His hand dropped to his side immediately. "Of course you can. We'll leave it on all night for you. And we'll leave a lamp on in the living room too, in case you wake up. I'm sleeping on the sofa so you can come in and wake me up if you need to."

The tiniest glimmer of a smile rewarded him. It was the first Ruby had bestowed upon him since he had met her. In the night of her heart, a small light had been lit.

Walking out into the living room, Blair switched on the lamp as he had promised. He sat on the sofa and watched the rain drizzle lethargically down the windows.

Jim came down the stairs, carrying a pillow, sheets and blankets. He placed them on the table and then turned to his friend.

"You're pretty quiet."

Blair smiled across at him. "Yeah. Silent, like the "P" in swimming. That's me. So...what's the story with the kids? How did you find the grandmother?"

Joining him on the sofa, Jim shook his head. "Pretty amazing story, Chief. The father *is* in gaol... for embezzlement. The grandmother's got legal custody of the kids but the mother turned up and asked for money. When it wasn't forthcoming, she took the kids with her. They've been missing for four months now. The grandmother's been beside herself. She's catching the bus to Cascade and will take them home tomorrow night."

"And tomorrow?" Blair's face was an open book. He wanted the kids with him.

"Tomorrow?" Jim played the game.

"The kids, man. What happens to them tomorrow? Can they stay with us?" Exasperation crept into Blair's voice.

"Well... now...tomorrow..." Jim stretched the verdict but gave in when he saw Blair's crestfallen face.

"Okay, Chief. Tomorrow they are with us. I've got the day off. How about you?" The Sentinel couldn't help but smile as he caught the swift upbeat of Blair's suddenly allegro mood.

"I can get Sandra to cover for me. I've only got one lecture. Cool! We can give them a day to remember. How about we take them to the art gallery? There's a new display of Columbian art." Leaping up, Blair heard a pained cry from the kitten who had been sleeping peacefully near his feet until trampled upon by an overenthusiastic anthropologist.

"Oh God, Guine. Come here." The forgiving kitten wound itself around his legs. He scooped her up and held her against his cheek, stroking her. "Baby, baby," he said softly.

"Sorry to break up this Hallmark moment, Chief, but speaking of babies, I don't think the two we have in your room are going to enjoy the art gallery. And I'm with them!" He grinned.

"Man, the only difference between you and yogurt is that yogurt has more culture!!" Blair sighed dramatically. "Okay, how about a picnic? Weather permitting." He nodded towards the rain trickling down the windows.

"Sounds good to me, Chief. A bit of junk food, the frizbee...heaven!" The Sentinel grinned as Blair rolled his eyes. "And speaking of food, you want something?" Jim headed off into the kitchen.

"No, man. Thanks. I ate bits and pieces with the kids. I'm going to try and loosen up with a bit of meditation. Is that going to bother you?" Blair settled down onto the floor and crossed his legs, shrugging his body into relaxation mode.

Jim appeared from the fridge with an orange in hand. He began to peel it in careful crescents, his nose twitching appreciatively as the room filled with the fruit's sharp, humid smell.

"Go ahead, Chief. Say one for me." He took a bite into the sweet flesh of the fruit and let it slide down his throat. Bliss.

Blair looked up at his friend. "You know, Jim. You should be trying this. It's a way to let go of the day."

Taking another bite of orange, Jim shook his head. "Uh, thanks...but no thanks, Chief. You know I've tried but it's just not my thing. The truth is, my meditation is not so much transcendental as accidental...zone outs, you know."

Blair nodded, understanding, but he persisted. "You just have to learn to clear your mind, man. It takes practice."

"I've tried! What I want to know is how I can concentrate on emptying my mind, when emptying my mind is on my mind?" Jim grinned cheerfully, satisfied with his philosophy.

Laughter bubbled from Blair. He raised his hands in the air; a gesture of defeat.

"Okay, okay. I give up. I shall move through peaceful worlds on my own. See ya."

Settling himself more comfortably on the floor, Blair folded his legs, straightened his back and let his hands rest upon his knees. Closing his eyes, he began to chant. The wordless melody was hypnotic, mellifluous, broken only by the sound of the rain.

Moving quietly around the loft, Jim found the hum of Blair's meditation soothing. This archaeology of sounds was home to him. It felt right. The wind mourned outside, but inside, it was warm and safe. Home.

Sitting down on the sofa, Jim closed his own eyes and listened as Blair's voice faded away and the quiet sound of his breathing became a resonant tune on its own. There was something else. The Sentinel opened one eye and sighed. The kitten had quit its 'poor me' act. She slunk towards the sofa and appraised him with a superior eye. With cool malevolence, Guinevere sashayed forward, jumped onto his lap, and flicked her tail in his face. He felt the tingle of an oncoming sneeze in his nose and, with a perfunctory pat, lifted her up in his large hand, and dropped her back onto the floor.

Having been thwarted from her absorbing game, Guine hissed at him and turned her attention to Blair who, in a deep state of relaxation, was blissfully unaware of what was going on.

Jim watched as the kitten moved, angel-light, towards her unsuspecting prey. Preening herself for a moment, as if preparing for a stage role, she took aim and catapulted her small body onto Blair's shoulder.

"Jesus!"

From a place of peacefulness, Blair was wrenched back into reality by tiny, sharp claws digging into him. He leapt to his feet, shaking the culprit from his shoulder in the process. The kitten scurried to safety under the table, whilst Blair performed a peculiar sort of rain dance, waving his arms around trying to rid himself of whatever had attacked him.

Jim watched the pantomime from the safety of the sofa, helpless with laughter.

As Blair registered this, his frenzied wriggling came to a stop and he looked sheepishly at his friend. "What?"

"What what?" It was the only semi-intellegent thing Jim could get out between his laughing.

Blair shook his body again, like a wet puppy. "What *was* that?"

Pulling himself together, and having no compunction at all about snitching on the guilty party, Jim pointed to the kitten under the table.

"That, buddy, was your Guinevere. She's starting to show her true colours. While you were working so hard at thinking of nothing, she was trying to clean the 666 off her forehead."

The kitten in question was having none of that. She mewed pitifully and sidled up to Blair, winding herself enticingly around his ankles.

He scooped her up. "Well, miss. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Guinevere blinked innocently at her quarry, and once again he was lost.

"She's so cute, man." He tickled her under the chin and purring poured forth from her like honey.

"Chief, you make a great couple." Jim laughed again, stretching his arms across the back of the sofa to watch Blair explode in a frenzy of indignation. It never happened. There was a cry from the bedroom and Blair was there in a heartbeat, with Jim close behind.

Michael was sitting up in bed, looking around him in confusion. His gaze fell upon Blair and Jim, and relief swept across his face.

"I forgot." His voice shook.

Jim crouched down beside the bed.

"What did you forget, buddy?" The words were soft and encouraging.

Michael looked at his sister sleeping peacefully beside him, the book clutched in her small hands. He looked at Jim and Blair.

"I forgot I was here." A sigh eased from him and he lay back on the pillow, closing his eyes.

They waited. He was asleep.

"I don't think he was really awake, poor kid." Jim smoothed Michael's hair back from his forehead. The knot that was in his stomach was working its way up into his throat. This little guy must feel so unsettled. His world kept kaleidoscoping on him, keeping him off balance. Kids needed stability in their lives.

They waited until both children were breathing with a soft, steady rhythm before they returned to the living room, each lost in their own thoughts. Blair began to make some tea.

Jim tidied up some of the anthropology books on the coffee table, stacking them neatly, not quite knowing what to say, his mind too full for speech. He knew what Michael and Ruby were feeling. They had learned not to expect. Not to expect anything. In some ways, he had experienced the same thing as a child. And eventually, he had stopped trying.

Blair placed a mug of tea in front of him and smiled sadly.

"God, Jim... what those kids have been through. Did you see how Ruby was clutching that book? Man, it just burns me up to see what they've had to put up with. I mean, life with Naomi was wild, but I never, never had to question whether or not she loved me. Ruby's so closed up. It's like she knows that she'll be hurt." Clasping the cup of tea in his big hands, Blair sighed. He took a sip of the lightly flavoured peppermint brew and sat back on the sofa.

Jim raised an eyebrow. "You do know, Chief, that you're gonna have to give them back."

"Yeah, yeah. 'Course. I'm just saying that it's so not fair. You need a licence to drive a car, but *anyone* can have kids." The shake of his head set his brown curls bouncing in agreement.

"There's not much we can do, Sandburg. We can give them a great day, but then we have to hand them over. You have to let it go." Jim let a mouthful of tea roll down his throat, subtly lifting his sense of taste until the peppermint flavour began to tingle against his tongue.

Blair sagged against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. "Don't get me wrong, Jim. No way am I ready for fatherhood. May the gods of Karma be listening! And the kids obviously love their grandma so they're really going home...it's just that sometimes the world seems like such a shitty place, ya know?" His fingers drummed restlessly against his knees.

Jim smiled affectionately. Sandburg adlibbed life, always seeing things anew - from an odd angle, in an unexpected light, coloured differently. He burned with an intrinsic sense of fairplay and it was this that often set him up for a fall. He *wanted* to believe that people cared about others. He *wanted* the world to have happy endings. It might be naive...but hey, as far as the Sentinel was concerned, the world could do with more naive people if that was the case.

Blair exhaled noisily and Jim could see that he was mentally 'squaring his shoulders'. Opening his eyes, the young man spoke in a slightly forced, though upbeat, voice. "Tick, tick. Briiinnggg. Time's up. Sorry, man. I'm not gonna brood any more. Till the next time." He looked across at his Sentinel and smiled a slow, crooked smile.

Jim decided, there and then, that a change of topic was drastically called for. He searched his memory for a brief instant before exclaiming an inward 'Eureka'.

"Hey, Chief. What was your favourite toy when you were a kid? Mine was a battleship. I built it myself from a kit. Man, it was fine. Took it down to the pond to send it on its inaugural voyage." Jim stopped, building the tension.

"And..." Blair prompted, interest stirring in his eyes.

"And it sank. Boom. Straight to the bottom!" Jim grinned.

"What?" Blair started laughing. "Sank?"

Jim leaned forward and milked the moment. "Sank. Dropped like a stone. Played submarine. Sank!"

"Oh, man, that's sad!" Blair was having trouble controlling his laughter. He could just see Jim standing there, open mouthed, as his ship dipped below the water.

Arranging his face into a suitable mournful expression, Jim carried on. "You got it. It affected my outlook on life, Chief. I mean, I look at the ships in the harbour now - all that steel sitting on top of the water without sinking? Oh, pul-eeze. And don't come at me with all that displacement theory stuff. The only displacement I understand is if I put a bottle of wine in the fridge, it leaves less space for the beer." The Sentinel's eyes sparkled with mischief.

Blair gave in, laughing out loud. "I hear that, man."

"So....?"

Blair let his laughter dwindle down to a quiet chuckle. "So...?"

"So, what was your favourite toy? Let me guess. Uh...a Nelson Mandela doll?" Jim was enjoying this.

Laughing again, Blair shook his head. "No. Not even close. I remember I wanted, for the longest time, a big red steamroller that one of the kids in one of the schools I went to brought for Show and Tell. Man, it was just the best. But Naomi just didn't have the cash for that kind of stuff, ya know. Anyway, one of the guys we were living with got a kerosene tin and drilled holes in the side. Put a few rocks in it, threaded wire through it and made a handle...and there she was...the steamroller of my dreams." Blair's face was lit in memory.

He continued, "I dragged that thing everywhere, man. It was shining and silver and hollow. Everything it touched made it sing. It was so cool.. I loved it."

He grinned a little self-consciously at Jim and then stretched his arms high above his head. "Well, after that little visit to childhood, I'm going to get some sleep."

Jim tossed the blankets and pillows at his friend and stood up to take the mugs to the kitchen. He washed and dried them, and placed them in the cupboard. In the time that took, Blair had flung blankets over the sofa and curled himself around a pillow.

Heading for the stairs, Jim turned. "Night, Chief."

"Night, Jim." The voice was muffled.

Just as Jim reached his bedroom, he heard Blair speak. He extended his hearing down the stairs.

"Oh, and Jim...get some sleep...for tomorrow we are Harried With Children." Blair dissolved once again into laughter and the Sentinel grinned in concert.

________________________________________________

Jim stirred and rolled over. Stretching his long, lean frame, he tucked his arms behind his head and smiled with satisfaction. Tuesday. All day. His day off. He let his eyelids close and lay in that comfortable place between wakefulness and sleep.

Suddenly a squalling noise erupted from downstairs. Before he had time to register what the ruckus was, he was speeding down the stairs. He ran nearly full tilt into Blair whose knuckles were rapping resolutely on the bathroom door - an irritated paternal code.

"You guys, enough! Okay? Michael? Michael, open the door! Right now. Ruby?" Blair leaned his head against the door and butted it gently several times before turning to Jim.

"Uh...they are supposed to be getting dressed. Michael's locked the door." He sighed. "You know, I used to feel this nameless dread...I actually called it Bruce because it's not much fun to be without a name. Now....good old Bruce has found his own name...It's parenthood. I'm not cut out for this, man." He knocked again on the door.

Moving Blair gently away from the door, Jim cracked his knuckles and whispered, "Watch this, Chief."

"Michael, this is Jim. You know, we are going on an adventure today. You can't spend the day in the bathroom. Wait till you see what I've got for you..."

The door opened a crack. "What is it?" Michael's small nose appeared, sniffing enquiringly.

"Well, buddy. You're not going to be able to see it if you don't come out, now, are you?" The Sentinel's voice was enticing.

The door closed and Jim could hear a whispered conversation going on in the bathroom.

"Okay," Michael's voice was a little wobbly. "Ruby laughed at my hair. Don't you laugh. I'm coming out."

Jim winked at Blair. "Bribery and corruption. Works every time, Chief."

Michael opened the door and stepped out. Blair took a breath and prayed to any passing deity that he not laugh. Jim didn't dare look at Blair for he was having his own battle with mirth.

Ruby followed her brother out, rolling her eyes, a 'disgusted big sister' look upon her face. Her brother tilted his chin defiantly. He had been experimenting with Blair's hair products and was sporting enough mousse to sprout antlers. His hair was spiked in a dozen different directions.

"Well, now. Um, Michael. I don't know why you were hiding in there. It's a cool look, man. Yep. Way cool. I like it." Blair's words betrayed not a quiver of laughter and Jim marvelled at his control.

"See, Ruby. *He* likes it." Michael turned to his sister and poked out his tongue. "Do you like it, Jim?"

"Yeah, I do. Dare to be different!" Jim managed to remain poker-faced.

Ruby blew out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "I *told* him not to."

Blair was surprised at how forward she sounded. She seemed a different child, more confident. You could tell a lot about a person from their voice. You could detect shyness, a lack of trust, a lack of daring. When someone was closed in the throat, it was like they were damming up a river. They were afraid of what might come out. Ruby's voice had strength, and he wondered what had struck that spark.

"It's no problem, Ruby. Come, my changling. How about some breakfast?" Blair reached out his hand to the little girl and led her out to the kitchen. Jim followed, with Michael perched precariously upon his shoulders, hands raised up in triumph like the champion of the world.

Once in the kitchen, Blair began searching the refrigerator for something that would do for breakfast. Michael began reciting a lits of foodstuffs he couldn't possibly eat for the first meal of the day.

Ruby waited patiently till her brother took a breath, and then she looked at him. "It's Tuesday, Michael."

"Oh." Michael looked crestfallen. "Sorry, Ruby. Forgot."

He turned to Jim and said, "It's Tuesday. Gran calls every Tuesday 'Ruby Tuesday'. It's Ruby's turn to pick the breakfast. I get to choose on Mondays. Whatcha want, Ruby?"

Aware of three pairs of eyes turned to her, four, counting the kitten who was curled up on the floor near Blair's foot, Ruby peeked out from underneath her fringe.

"Could I...can I...I mean may I have.....pancakes?"

Jim immediately swept into action. "On this Ruby Tuesday, you may have pancakes. In fact, you can have Jim's Premium Pancakes...they happen to be a specialty of mine. You think Blair is a good cook? Wait till you see these pancakes!" He tickled her under the chin and was rewarded by a smile.

He headed towards the fridge with Michael attached to his leg like a limpet.

"I wanna help. I'm a good helper. Can I help ya, Jim?"

Jim hoisted him up onto the bench. "Sure, buddy. You can learn the secret....but you can't tell. It's a secret between you and me. Okay? Deal?"

"Deal." Michael nodded seriously and crossed his heart with his finger, an age-old promise that Jim recognised immediately.

Blair glanced over toward the two chefs and smiled. Jim was so great with Michael. He was patient and funny. He'd make a wonderful father one day.

Turning to Ruby, he watched as she moved quietly around the loft, gently touching the artifacts that he had collected in his travels. The kitten was skittering around her feet.

She bent down and scooped it up, letting it nuzzle into her neck.

"I think she likes you, Ruby." Blair reached out and ran one finger down the kitten's back.

"I think she does. She really does." The little girl smiled and cuddled the kitten closer.

"Does your Gran like cats, Ruby?"

She smiled and nodded. "She's got two. One is real big and his name is Tigger. The other one is littler and her name is Sabine. I like her best. She purrs loudly...real loud. That means that she is happy." The kitten in her arms began to purr, as if to show that she was as proficient as Sabine. Ruby grinned. "I like you too, Guine."

Blair and the little girl petted Guine in companionable silence. Their noses twitched at the delicious aroma coming from the sizzling pan from which Jim and Michael were creating a true Ruby Tuesday masterpiece of cullinary art.

Michael carried plates to the table with a ceremonial sense of importance. He placed them carefully, adjusting them slightly if they did not meet his exact requirements. Jim winked at Blair.

"Ladies and gentlemen... Preeeee-senting the one, the only, Ruby Tuesday Breakfast. A Jim and Michael production. Come one, come all." Jim flourished the pan through the air and began to stack the pancakes on a plate in the middle of the table.

The two children sat down and Blair poured each of them a glass of milk, before sitting down next to Ruby. He wasn't the least bit affronted at the sigh of relief that came from Michael who dearly wanted Jim to sit next to him.

For a few minutes, there was no conversation at all. Everyone was intent upon the feast that lay before them.

Blair watched Ruby spoon honey upon her pancake. It fell in a golden stream and made a lacy pattern. Once again he marvelled at the way the tiniest things had meaning for her. He looked at the honey he had spooned upon his own pancake. It was pooled in the middle of the pancake, slowly oozing down onto the plate. Next time he would try a pattern. He grinned at himself.

At this moment, Guinevere decided to make herself known in her favourite manner. She launched herself from the floor like a miniature heat-seaking missile. Landing none-too-softly upon Blair's leg, she scurried upward until she was nestled under his chin.

Blair gave a yelp of surprise, and knocked his pancakes flying. Ruby was wide eyed in amazement. Her fork was frozen in mid-air, laden with pancake, and dripping honey onto the table. Michael, glass tilted to his mouth, laughed so hard that milk jetted from his nostrils.

Jim watched the chaos with a bemused smile upon his face, and continued to eat his pancakes with great enjoyment.

"What *is* it with this cat?" Blair surveyed the mess he'd made and tried to peel Guinevere from his shoulder, where she clung with life-raft intensity.

"Don't try this at home, kids." Jim nodded toward Blair who winced dramatically as he disengaged the kitten.

"Ouch! That's not lady-like, Guinevere."

"She *really* loves you, Blair," said Michael, brandishing his spoon and nodding wisely.

Rubbing his shoulder, Blair answered wryly, "If she loves me any more, I'm gonna be in need of hospital treatment!"

"I think she's trying to tell you that she wants to come to the park too, Blair. Yes. I think she is." Michael studied the kitten, and returned his gaze to Blair.

"Uhh...let me think about that. That would be a 'no'!" Blair put the kitten carefully back onto the floor.

"So, Chief, what happened to 'she's so cute'?" Jim grinned as he mopped up honey, milk and pancake from the disaster-strewn table.

Rubbing his shoulder ruefully, Blair gave the merest suggestion of a pout. "Yeah, well... now she's a little *too* cute!"

Tossing the dishcloth back into the sink, Jim bowed fluidly at Michael who was applauding his great aim. "Uh huh. Too cute. I hate that in a cat."

Sorely tempted to poke out his tongue, Blair sought a more adult retort. "Yeah, well..."

"Geez, Chief. That's the best comeback I've ever heard!" Jim teased.

Blair lifted Ruby's fingers from the pool of honey on the table, and led her to the sink. She held out her hands like a small sleepwalker. Lifting her up so she could reach the running water, Blair sparkled back at Jim with renewed vigor.

"Hey..an old Peruvian saying. When one is constantly attacked by scheming female felines, one is apt to become linguistically inferior in the heat of the moment. Of course my translation may be a little rusty." He gave Ruby a cloth to dry her hands and looked to Jim for the next comment in their little sparring competition.

"Chief, I take it back. *That's* the best comeback I've ever heard. You win!" Jim was graceful in defeat. "Okay, guys, let's get this show on the road. Blair and I will clean up the rest of ...uh...this." His hand swept over the remaining mess. "Your job is to brush your teeth. Blair has put out two new toothbrushes for you. He must have been a boy scout when he was younger... always prepared!"

Michael slipped off his chair and began singing cheerfully. "Don't wanna brush my teeth. Don't wanna brush my teeth."

"Ah," said Blair. "A mutinous lyric, if ever there was one. Over to you, Jim."

The Sentinel was equal to the challenge. "Teeth. Then the park...and the lake...and the kite...and the picnic."

Ruby pulled her brother towards the bathroom. "Let's *go*. "

"And peace reigned upon the land. Way to go, man." Blair carried the dishes to the sink.

"It's a gift. Actually, Chief, I'm just using the strategies I use to get you to behave."

Jim had no time to admire how Blair set up an arcing two-hand set shot before a dripping, sticky dishcloth landed on his head.

"Goal," Blair said smugly. And he raised his hands to the applause of his own imaginary crowd.

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

The rain had cleared, but the air was still heavy with moisture. The sky felt weighted. It was like inhaling gauze. It made Blair feel lazy and he rested on his elbows as he lay back on the grass.

Near the lake, Jim was tutoring Michael on the finer points of kite flying. Blair couldn't hear what they were talking about, but the little boy was obviously enthralled by what Jim was saying.

Michael began lolloping across the grass, trying to launch the kite Jim had given him. It was flopping around like a poisoned fly, but Michael either didn't mind, or didn't notice. It was easy to see, that as far as he was concerned, the kite was a roaring, soaring success.

Ruby had sat quietly by Blair watching the kite flying but it hadn't held her interest. She found her way to the swings. Her eyes were closed and she pointed her toes upwards on the upswing and bent her knees beneath her on the slow pendulum down. Her hair flowed behind her and then clouded around her face. She'd left the world behind and all that existed for her was the ebb and flow of the swinging motion. There was a smile of secret delight upon her upturned face.

Blair felt a little twinge of envy. She was so into the moment. All her senses were alive and singing.

A thought struck him like a speeding train and jolted him into a sitting position. It was...it was almost like being a Sentinel! The idea took his breath away for a moment. Kids were so aware of everything. Imagine being a kid *and* a Sentinel.

He turned his head to look back at Jim who was cheering Michael through another attempt at flying his kite.

Blair watched as the kite swooped through the sky. He imagined that he could hear the wind battering the plastic and the kite tail twanging in the air. How cool it must have been for Jim as a young kid. They hadn't spoken much about Jim's childhood. Blair knew that the Sentinel had enhanced senses as a child - good for smelling dinner cooking at a distance, Jim had said - but to what extent?

Twisting back to watch Ruby, flying in her own world, Blair's thoughts were leapfrogging each other in their rush to be heard. Which of Jim's senses were switched on first? How did he discover them? If it was something that he always had, the young Jim would have just accepted them as being usual. When did he discover that he was different? How much of his senses did he retain as he got older?

Wrenching himself from the flurry of ideas racing in his head, he waved to Ruby who was bringing her swing to a stop.

"You want to go watch Jim and Michael?" His voice was enticing.

She sat on the barely moving swing and let her feet swivel lazy patterns in the dirt. Cocking her head to one side, she smiled and nodded. Arching her body, she launched herself into standing position and rushed full-tilt into Blair.

"I think I'm going to marry you, Blair." Her words were muffled by his jacket.

He grinned with delight. "Well...I'm a lucky guy, then." His hand ruffled her bright curls. He wondered where the shyness had gone...and how she had come to trust him so completely. Deciding not to analyse it, and just enjoy it, he waited until she looked up.

'Let's go and show them how it's done!" He took her hand and watched as she tried to pounce upon her shadow whilst walking. Blair joined her and they laughed together at the little game.

As they strolled towards the kite flyers, Michael's voice floated back to them.

"Ji-i-im?"

Blair smiled. It struck him as funny that kids could get three sounds out of one syllable. With the rising inflection you knew it was about the pursuit of knowledge.

"You know how..." Michael's words wove their way through the other sounds of the park.

Blair was reminded of the youthful intensity of being six. Michael's conversation was about the length of a ladybird's legs and where does she keep her keep her wings. Blair wondered whether, in this age of equality, you got gentlemanbirds? Or perhaps they should be personbirds.

Feeling the pressure of Ruby's hand change, he looked down. She was walking with him but her eyes were on the big lake in the middle of the park. He loosened his grip on her hand and held it more lightly, letting her bear the responsibility of guiding him. Sure enough, they veered in a gentle curve towards the sparkling water.

They stopped at the lake's edge, sheltering from the heat in the cool shade of an overhanging tree. Taking time to notice, Blair admired the near-touchable, leaf-muted sunshine. It was silk, made light.

Ruby lay on her stomach, her head hanging over the sandstone rim of the lake. Her hand trailed patterns in the clear water.

"So, you two.."

Blair jumped. He hadn't heard Jim and Michael walk up behind them. He had been immersed in Ruby's world.

Michael pranced up and down, pointing out across the lake. "Ruby, Ruby. Look! It's a boat. It's sailing. Wish I had me a boat like that."

All four watched as the motorised toy sailboat cut through the water's edge. Suddenly a gust of wind caught the sails and sent it teetering on its side.

They held their collective breaths and watched in horrified fascination as the fine vessel slipped beneath the water.

Blair started laughing. He turned to Jim. "Stone?"

Jim was grinning widely. He made a gesture with his hand, thumb pointing downwards.

"Submarine!" He answered wickedly.

The two children looked at each other and shrugged. Sometimes adults said the strangest things.

"Well, guess what you two?" Michael and Ruby tilted their heads upward with complete attention to Jim. They knew from his voice that he was about to make an announcement.

"It's time!" Michael bounced up and down and dragged Ruby with him. It's time, Ruby!"

Jim nodded. "Yep. It's time. Time we headed home to get ready for your Gran."The four of them walked companionably back to the truck. Ruby held tight to Blair's hand and Michael swung between Jim and Blair, squealing in delight as his legs kicked up as high as their waists.

It started to rain. No-one hurried. They enveloped themselves in the warm, earthy smell that filled the air. And they lifted their faces to the sky.

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

The evening had been pushed upon the city of Cascade by heavy clouds pinning the darkness to the earth. The rain had stopped, but the Sentinel could hear the slide of an occasional raindrop as it lost its grip on the leaf of a plant or the roof of a building.

He sat on the balcony of the Loft, his long fingers revelling in the feel of a bottle of cold beer. It had been quite a day, this Ruby Tuesday.

The children had been ecstatic to see their Grandmother. She, a well-dressed, personable woman of about fifty, was equally delighted to have *her* kids back within her arms. And Guinevere had found a place there too.

It had all gone very quickly. On the way out the door, Ruby had run back to Blair and whispered "To the moon and back," to him. The kid's face had been a picture. The big kid's too. It had all worked out for the best.

There was a rattle behind him as the glass doors to the balcony slid open and Blair stepped out, carrying two plates of food, and another bottle of beer wedged under his arm.

With much ceremony, he handed one plate to Jim.

"Pasta la vista, baby," he said with a grin.

Jim's nostrils twitched at the mouthwatering aroma of the pasta in basil and white wine sauce. The snow peas sent their sharp odour to cut through the rest. It smelled delicious.

"Thanks, man." Jim needed no invitation to begin. He sighed happily after the first mouthful, and continued enthusiastically onward, twirling his fork with the skill of a cowboy lassoing a wayward steer.

Blair ate quietly. Jim let him...for a while.

"So, that went well?" Jim gestured back to the Loft where the goodbyes had occurred.

There was a small moment as Blair stopped, swallowed his mouthful of food, and then considered Jim's words.

"Yeah. She's nice. Their Gran, I mean. It was a happy ending." He trailed his fork through the pasta with studied indifference. He was glad it had worked out that way, but deep inside there was a little well of loss. Ruby had opened his eyes to a new world and he would miss her.

They resumed their meal in silence, the easy silence that friendship supports. Down below them, across several streets, Jim heard someone scuffing in the gutter among a sodden seethe of leaves.

"Never liked that."

Blair looked across at him. "Never liked what?"

"You know. Sloppy leaves. Walking in them. Getting sludge all over your clothes."

"Where did that come from?" Blair wore a puzzled expression at the turn of the conversation.

Jim placed his plate at his feet and turned to his friend. "Sorry, Chief. I just heard someone ploughing through the gutter a way off."

"Oh, right. Now I get ya." Blair smiled across at him. "Speaking of which...what was it like for you as a kid? Amazing? Just watching the kids today made me realise how much they notice that we take for granted. But you...man, you must have been blown away by the world."

Jim placed his fork neatly on his plate and considered carefully before answering.

"Not really, Chief. I mean, I never knew any different. I didn't know that other people couldn't see or hear what I did. I just thought it was natural."

Blair nodded. "I guess. I just thought that it would have been kinda psychedelic. You know...sights...sounds..."

"Chief, I really don't know. I mean, I don't know what you see when you look around. You look at things differently to me too."

Blair nodded again, this time with more understanding. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, Jim." He turned back to the night sky and listened to the street sounds cut through the darkness.

"You know, I remember this time once when I was about eight. Mom had rented this rundown little place near the ocean. One night, it was so damn sticky and hot that I slipped out and went for a swim on my own." Blair took a mouthful of beer.

A car horn interrupted his reverie and he raised his hand in a wry wave to the occupants of the car in the street below.

"No, really. Thank *you*."

Jim smiled at the sarcasm dripping from every syllable of Blair's words.

With a roll of his eyes, and an exaggerated sigh, Blair continued his story.

"There was a new moon that night and it was really dark. I lay on my back and it was like I was floating in stars. I reckon that's about as close as I've been to what I think you might be able to see. I envy you, man."

"When you put it like that, Chief, I envy *myself*!" Jim grinned widely and they both spluttered into laughter.

"So," said the Sentinel, raising his bottle of beer to his friend. "Here's goodbye to Ruby Tuesday. A day of discovery for both of us."

Blair raised his bottle of beer to meet Jim's with a satisfying clink.

"To Ruby Tuesday." His smile was gentle. "To Ruby who taught me to capture a moment that might never, ever be there again." Blair smiled across at Jim before continuing. "And to remembering... that it's about friendship."

 

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

Finis

"Guess How Much I Love You" written by Sam McBratney.