The Magic in a Moment

by Freya-Kendra

Except for Jim Ellison, Captain Banks was the last to leave the bullpen on Christmas Eve. At precisely six-o-clock, he stepped out of his office and slipped into his winter coat.

"Hey, Jim." He greeted as he stopped by Ellison's desk. "I hope things are quiet around here for you tomorrow."

"I hope so too, sir. But we'll handle whatever comes."

"I know. You won't miss me, that's for sure. Nothing short of a --"

"Ah, ah." Jim held up a hand to silence his captain. "Don't jinx yourself by saying it."

Simon gave him a wary look. "Jinx?" Then he shook his head, chuckling softly. "That's not good, Jim. Sandburg's wearing off on you."

Jim's responding smile gave no hint of offense. "Maybe that's not such a bad thing."

"Yeah?" Simon seemed to consider his statement. "Hmm. Maybe you're right," he answered finally. "You have been a lot more ... Let's just say I don't have to take near as many antacids as I used to."

"Oh? I must be slipping. Sorry, Simon. I'll make up for it next year."

"Don't even think about it." But the threat was lost in hushed laughter. "Well, I do hope you have a quiet day tomorrow. I know I've worked my fair share of holidays. They tend to be a good time to catch up on paperwork."

"No problem there, Simon. That's what I've got a partner for."

"Where is Sandburg, anyway?"

"He's meeting with someone about those lectures he's signed up to do next semester."

Simon smiled. "It's funny, isn't it? I thought it would be good to finally have him here full time. But now I have to admit I'm glad things worked out for him at the university."

"Best of both worlds for him." And it was. Blair Sandburg had truly found his niche, miraculously able to balance being both a full-time cop and a part-time academic.

After all the lawyers had been finished discrediting Naomi's shifty editor friend for releasing Blair's dissertation without his consent, they had cleared the way for the university to help restore Sandburg's own credibility. It took a ton of focused attention, but Blair was able to reconstruct his research using Alex Barnes as his principle subject, while references to Jim were based on 'what if' scenarios, giving consideration to how her skills might work in the opposite vein if such capabilities could be applied to a police detective. Jim was pleased with the result. The university quietly accepted the revised dissertation, and Blair graduated without ceremony. In the end, Blair gained the credentials he had worked so hard to obtain, allowing him to maintain some academic exposure through the lecture circuit. Yet what pleased Jim the most was the fact that Blair went on to attend the police academy. When given a choice between academia and police work, Blair Sandburg had chosen the later.

'There was no real choice to make, Jim,' he had said at the time. 'How else could I continue being your partner?'

"Jim?" Simon snapped his fingers in front of Ellison's face.

"Sorry, Simon. I was just thinking."

"Not zoning, I hope. I don't need you to start zoning on me now when I'm supposed to be on my way to the airport."

"Go on. I'm fine. There's no need to miss your flight."

"You're sure?"

"I'm fine, Simon. Besides, Sandburg will be back any minute now."

Simon glanced at the door, and into the empty hallway beyond. "I wish I could wait. You will tell him 'Merry Christmas' for me?"

"I'll tell him. Now go. Get out of here. And tell your cousin 'Merry Christmas' from everyone here at Major Crimes."

"Yeah. Sure." Simon moved away. "Oh, and Jim?" He said then, pausing at the threshold. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Simon."

Already in good spirits, Jim's smile widened as he watched his captain head off -- like his other colleagues and friends had already done -- toward a special holiday celebration. Rafe had gone to Europe. H was visiting his grandmother. Joel had headed south. Even Rhonda was visiting relatives. Jim and Blair were the only regulars here in Major Crimes with no particular plans. But that was okay. Jim did not feel the need to do anything special this year. Maybe that was because the year had already proved to be special in and of itself.

Jim was still thinking about how good it had been to watch Blair grow into his new, 'best of both worlds' life when Sandburg rushed breathlessly back into the bullpen.

"I am *so* sorry, Jim," he said, falling into the seat at his own desk. "I had no idea it would take so long to work out the details."

"No problem."

Blair gave him an odd look. "You okay, Jim?"

"Fine. Why?"

"I don't know. You just seem so ...." Blair shrugged, and then added, "Happy."

"And that's a problem?"

"No, man. No problem. It's just ... not quite what I'm used to."

Now it was Jim's turn to shrug. "Good. I like to keep you off your guard."

"Well, it's working."

"Perfect. You have that report finished yet?"

"Report? What--" Blair's desk phone prevented him from finishing. "Sandburg," he answered.

Watching as his partner's expression turned grim, Jim's happiness ebbed considerably.

"Got it." Blair slammed down the phone and finished jotting down some notes. An instant later he bounced back out of his seat. "Uniforms found a body down at the waterfront."

* * *

Detective Blair Sandburg rose from where he had been studying the victim. "It looks like an execution, Jim. Shot once in the head, close range. Not here though. His body had to have been dumped. He...." Blair clenched his teeth and shook his head, looking away.

"Sandburg? You okay?" Jim asked, concerned.

"How could anyone do something like this on Christmas Eve, man? It's *Christmas Eve,* Jim! This guy has a family somewhere that's thinking about presents and parties and all this good, cheerful stuff, and we've got to tear it away from them by telling them he's dead."

"Hey, hold it together, Chief." Jim wrapped his arm around his partner's shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. "To the lowlifes of society it's just another day on the calendar."

"Yeah." Blair sank into the half-embrace rather than pulling away. "A day when depression soars, stress mounts, and all you really have after everything's said and done is a pile of crumpled paper and ribbons to toss in the trash."

"When did you get to be so cynical?"

Blair sighed. "I don't know, man. Maybe I should never have taken this job."

"No way, Sandburg. You're too damn good to second guess yourself like that."

"What?" Blair gave him a suspicious glare.

"I'm serious. You provide a certain insight I've never seen before in a detective. Even Simon has been impressed."

"Come on, Jim. You don't need to--"

"I told you I'm being serious, here. You know yourself how your unique spin on things brought down Brett Sampson when he wasn't even on our radar."

"I didn't bring him down, Jim. Maybe I helped, but all I did was connect the dots. You and Simon would have gotten him eventually; don't tell me you wouldn't."

"Maybe. But you did more than just connect the dots. You brought a whole new set of dots into the equation. And that's not the only time you've done that."

"Don't. Just stop this, okay? It's like you're trying to make me out to be some kind of hero, super-cop here, and we both know that's far from the truth. We're a good team; I will admit that. But if anyone's a super-cop it's you."

"Not by a long shot, Chief. But thanks for the compliment."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"It wasn't?"

"No, Jim. It's the truth, and you know it. The way you can hone in on evidence is far superior to anyone else on the force, probably anyone else on *any* police force, for that matter."

"Being a sentinel doesn't automatically register me as a super-cop. But I think you hit the nail on the head, anyway. We're a good team, good partners -- *equal* partners."

Blair's wary gaze eased noticeably at Jim's words. "Thanks, Jim. I don't ... I don't know what to say."

Jim gave his shoulder another squeeze, and then released him so they could stand face-to-face. "Say you trust me."

"You know I trust you, Jim."

"Good. Then trust what I'm about to tell you. Look, Sandburg, in our jobs we see the worst of society."

"The dark underbelly, man. I don't need to trust you to know that."

"Let me finish."

Blair raised his hands in mock surrender.

"We see what the best of society doesn't have to see. Because we do what we do, they can wake up tomorrow and smile and laugh and open presents and create piles of wrapping paper trash."

Blair grimaced. "Jim, I don't know what--"

"I said let me finish."

"Okay, man. Sorry."

"When we got Sampson, there were still four names on his revenge list. That's four people he did not get around to killing. You saved four lives, Blair. And three of those people were parents."

"Jim, I--"

"Ah, ah!" Jim wagged a finger at him.

"Okay. Okay. Finish already."

"Blair, because you did what you did by turning us onto Sampson *when* you did, there are half a dozen kids out there who are going to wake up in a few hours and still be able to believe in magic -- because their parents are still alive." Jim's eyes bore deep into his partner's. "You didn't just save four lives, Blair. You saved Christmas for four families. And if you count all the other crimes you have had a part in solving -- a very *large* part in solving -- you've saved Christmas for a whole lot more families. Every minute you invest in this dark underbelly comes back a hundred-fold in the lives of the people you are able to protect."

"When did you get to be such an optimist? I've always thought of you as the 'glass is half empty' sort."

Jim smiled. "I guess some of that unique insight of yours is starting to rub off on me." Then, as quickly as it had come, the smile died. "Just don't let my 'glass is half empty' bit rub off on you. It doesn't suit you. I don't want this job to eat you alive. I know it can. I know it has, for a lot of good cops. And I don't want to see that happen to you. But at the same time, I don't want to see you give up on the job too easily. You're a good cop, Sandburg, and an even better detective. You're good for Cascade. You're good for me."

"Jim, I .... I'm speechless, man." Blair shook his head, seeming both confused and comforted.

Yet apparently the comfort did not last. "Damn you, Jim!" He shouted a moment later, the vehemence in his tone catching his partner off guard. "You have no idea what you've just done, do you?" Blair's voice started to break. "You just gave me the best Christmas gift I've ever received, man. The best gift I could ever hope to receive. Calling me a good cop, an equal ... and filling my head with these cozy, little images of kids on Christmas morning. I think you just saved Christmas for me, Jim. And all I got for you is--"

"Ah, ah!" Jim scolded. "Don't tell me. You'll ruin the surprise!"

Of course, nothing was ruined, nothing at all. In fact, this might just be the best Christmas gift Jim had ever received as well. He was able not only to find, but also to share a 'peace on earth, goodwill to men' sort of moment. It was a thing that could never be wrapped in colorful paper and tied with shiny ribbons. It was an instant that could never be captured on film. It was better than that. This was just one of those quiet, little moments that slip into life, the kind you never can forget -- the kind you never *want* to forget.

Still smiling, he turned back to Cascade's latest crime statistic. Even then, he let the smile linger for a moment before giving himself back to the task at hand. "Come on, Sandburg," he said. "You ready to put on that super-cop costume of yours and help me find the scum that let some of that dark underbelly creep into Christmas?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am." Taking a deep breath, Blair clearly steeled himself to face the worst. But some of that 'best' must have found footing in his soul, thanks to Jim's words. "Here I come, to save the day," he sang softly, his tone subdued rather than mocking.

* * *

Hours later, as the sun began to rise and the kids of Cascade began to wake to find stacks of presents under Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes, two detectives prepared to celebrate by putting in just another day at the office.

"Okay, Sandburg," Jim shouted from the loft's main door. "It's time to hit the road."

"Lighten up, Jim," Blair peeked out from behind the doorjamb in his room. "Don't tell me you're worried about being late. I mean, come on! Who will even notice?"

"Don't give me that. We said we'd work today; so let's get to it. And besides, we don't want that scum's trail to grow too cold now, do we?"

"It won't, Jim." Blair's voice called back from somewhere within the confines of his cluttered space. "But first thing's first. It *is* Christmas, after all." At that, he stepped into the kitchen holding a present wrapped in sparkling, green foil and tied with a red, velvet bow. "Merry Christmas, Jim."

Jim could not help but smile. Still, he shook his head, sighing softly. "That's great, Chief. Thank you. But can't this wait until tonight?"

"It could. But why should it have to?"

"Well, I .... I guess I don't really know. Okay. Five minutes; that's all."

Blair shrugged. "Five minutes is all we need."

"Yeah." Jim tossed his keys onto the table and turned away.

"Hey? Where are you going? Aren't you going to--"

"Relax, Sandburg. Christmas is not a one-sided holiday. I got you something too. Just give me a minute to get it."

"A minute, huh? That'll only give you four to open yours."

"That's great, Einstein. I'm glad you've got the math all figured out."

"Cute, Jim," Blair answered softly. "That's real cute."

Before the minute passed, Jim placed another package on the kitchen table, this one wrapped in multi-colored paper stamped with images of snowmen.

"Okay, then," Blair said, rubbing his hands together in childish excitement. "Who's first?" Somehow his smile seemed to reflect all the smiles of all the kids waking to the magic of Christmas.

It was enough to help Jim remember the magic as well. "How about each man for himself?" Without waiting for a reply, he pushed Blair aside and made a grab for the green package.

"Hey, no fair!" Blair complained, pushing his way back to the table and making a lunge for the snowmen.

It only took a few seconds for those carefully wrapped gifts to devolve into a pile of torn paper and crumpled ribbon, ready for the trash.

And it only took a few seconds for two detectives, grown weary of seeing the worst of society, to let the magic of Christmas remind them what the best of society was all about.

* * *

Epilogue

"Um, Jim?" Blair's voice was cautious as he held a Jags sweatshirt in front of him. "Do you think maybe we're spending a little too much time together, lately?"

"What makes you say that?" Jim answered with a shrug as he held up an identical shirt.

Before their laughter had a chance to subside, Jim noticed that their five minutes had run out. He laid his sweatshirt gently across the back of a chair, grabbed for his keys and punched his partner softly in the arm. "Time's up. Come on, Beav. Let's roll."

"Aw, geez, Wally. Do we have to?"

"Yes, short-stuff. We have to. Time to clean up that dark underbelly. Got your cape handy?"

"Well, I did." Blair swept his arm across the debris on the kitchen floor. "But I think we buried it."

Jim shrugged. "No problem. I've got extras."

Yet as he headed out the door, Blair made no move to follow him. "Um, Jim?" he called after him. "Don't tell me you're just planning to leave this mess like this."

"It'll keep." He shouted from the corridor.

"It'll keep?" Blair grabbed his own coat and keys, and then hurried out to join his partner. "It'll keep?" He repeated as he locked the door behind him. "Is that really Jim Ellison I hear talking?"

His words had no impact. Jim kept walking.

"Hold up, Jim."

Finally, Jim Ellison stopped. "It's Christmas morning, right?" He said after turning to face Blair.

"Ah, yeah." Blair answered sarcastically.

Jim glanced toward the ceiling before returning to meet Blair's questioning gaze. "Then," he started softly, "I think a little wrapping paper on the floor might be a welcome sight at the end of the day. You know, after we're finished facing that dark underbelly and all. Don't you?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I guess it would be."

Jim nodded once, and then started down the stairs.

"Hey, Jim?" Blair called out from the landing, making no move to follow. He waited until Jim turned to face him before offering up a truly heartfelt "Merry Christmas."

Jim's responding smile was equally genuine. "Merry Christmas, Blair."

* * *

end