Zero replacement value

Jim focussed on Blair's voice, pin pointing where exactly it came from in the warehouse district ahead of him, at the same time relief shot through him. Blair wasn't dead…not yet, and by God he was fighting back verbally. Attaboy, Darwin.

Stealthily he made his way to the disused building where Lash was holding Blair captive. He paused to listen again. Lash getting annoyed, Blair still talking up a storm. To his horror he realised Lash was drugging Blair. He started down some stairs, adrenaline pumping through him, senses hyper alert- when he heard a crack before his foot went through the stair tread .With a startled cry his leg disappeared and he lost the grip on his gun as he flailed for balance and fell.

He wrestled himself out of the stairs and came face to face with Lash. He saw Lash's eyes as they dilated in surprise as Jim lunged for him. Jim had more pounds and military experience in his favour but Lash was insanely strong. They tussled, banging round the room grunting with effort and trading blows. Suddenly they crashed through a large window, falling with shards cutting and scoring as they dropped to the story below.

The semi soft landing stopped them both with a splintered whoompf and Jim lost a second or two. Groaning, he levered himself up and staggered back up the stairs, retrieving his back up weapon as he searched for Lash before he killed Blair. His one thought reverberating round his woozy head "Don't die on me, don't die…"

Catching a glimpse of Lash in a reflection he had a split second as Lash came at him knocking the gun out of his hand. Jim deflected Lash's manic attack and got to his weapon before Lash came back at him with a lump of wood. One shot would have been enough but he emptied the whole clip- his fingers stopped automatically when he ran out. He peered over the drop to look down at the body- Lash was well and truly dead. Blair! His breathe heaved in reaction as adrenaline coursed through his body. He called in his sit rep to Simon and went to Blair.

The candles were too bright, the macabre mannequins smelt of rubber glue, wigs and death and he struggled to control the lurch of bile in his throat. He coughed as he stumbled towards Blair tied up in a dentists chair, far too still. But he knew as he focussed on Blair's breathing, that although shallow- he was still alive. Not out of the woods but alive and that was all he needed for now. He bowed his head in relief, reaching out to grasp Blair, but his senses were wide open and he drowned in the touch of Blair's leather jacket, in the smell of his clothes, the traces of chloral hydrate, the saliva on the yellow gag, and the warmth of Blair's body and the regular pulse of Blair's blood flowing through his heart.

Dimly he came to as Blair flailed awake with a shout, his heart thrashing against the drugs in his system and Jim's hands on his face and arm, thinking it was Lash . Jim realised he must have zoned for a few minutes after he contacted Simon for medical back up and some bolt cutters.

"It's okay Blair I'm here now; everything's going to be okay. Just hang on a little longer buddy. Lash is dead he's not coming back. It's over, it's over," he repeated like a mantra.

Blair swallowed hard and clutched at Jim's jacket before his eyes slid shut as his body relaxed back into unconsciousness. Suddenly Simon and the back up units were there- loud and noisy in the room, radios squawking in the background. Jim pulled himself together and directed some to Lash's body and looked for keys for the padlocks to the chains holding Blair to the chair. Simon was trying to get his attention but he was focussed on Blair.

"Jim, come on- let the medics take care of Sandburg now. They'll look after him, but you gotta let him go- he needs to get to the hospital. Jim!" At the tugging on his arm he snapped back into the present and the medics swarmed in round Blair. In moments he had an IV and an oxygen mask and there were plenty of hands to help slide the back board under him and transport him out of the building.

"Here's my back up weapon, sir- the other one's in the wreck of the stairs somewhere. We fought and went through the window, landed below. He came at me with some wood and I fired back in self defence. He landed where you see him." Simon nodded at Jim's verbal report as he put the gun in an evidence bag a Forensic Tech held out. Jim pointed out the wood Lash had picked up to Forensics and asked if he could go yet.

"Sure, I'll catch up with you later. Take care Jim. Give Sandburg our best."

0o0o0

Later at the hospital as he sat by Sandburg's bed waiting for the drugs to work their way through his system, Jim realised how lucky he was that Blair had managed to keep Lash occupied and off balance. Blair would know that Jim would get his beeper message and look everywhere for him. Blair seemed to trust him to do that after such short acquaintance. But he was right- Jim wouldn't leave anyone behind.

"Hey..." came a croaky voice from the bed. "It's you…"

"Yeah," replied Jim "And nobody's ever going to replace you or pretend to be you Sandburg – you're one of a kind."

"You heard that?" asked Blair, eyes wide.

"It's what led me to you. I'm proud of you for fighting back like that- you did everything right."

"Well, I wasn't thinking that so much as trying to stop him from drugging me and the death bit that came after that," yawned Blair. "You had me worried, I heard fighting and glass breaking then it all goes a bit fuzzy. Are you okay?"

"Fine," Jim said standing up- the plastic chair was hard and uncomfortable. As he stood up and stretched his sore muscles and bruises made him wince.

"Jim?" said Blair worried.

"I'm okay- a few bumps and bruises, small cuts- nothing to worry about. I'll feel worse tomorrow – maybe seize up a little, but it'll pass. I'll go for a sauna or whirlpool – does that make you feel happier?" Jim said with a tired smile.

"Yes, much. Can I go home yet? I feel okay now."

"It's still the middle of the night, but he said after breakfast should be okay, if you pass the tests."

"Hey, never met a test I didn't ace…" grinned Blair.

"Somehow I believe that. Don't worry about the Loft- some of the guys have tidied up and got the locksmith in. But if you'd rather we stay somewhere neutral…" Jim said cautiously. It wasn't as if he thought Sandburg would be a gibbering wreck and become agoraphobic- but there had to be some fall-out from being attacked at home and drugged

"No way, I want to be among my own things not in some bland chain hotel. It's nice of you to think of it but it's your home too. Just…just be there if I have a minor freak out, okay?"

"Done." Jim cleared his throat "so…"

"What?"

"So when is your birthday?"

END