Useless Disclaimer: Jim and Blair belong to Pet Fly, UPN, and Paramount. No copyright infringement is intended, and I have certainly not received money for this story. It's strictly for fun.

Summary: To entertain a bored Sentinel, do something unusual and then leave him out...

L-O-Y-A-L-T-Y

by Izhilzha

scribble, scribble, scribble...SKRIIIIIITCH

"Damn."

scribble...scribble, scrib scrib scrib. scribble skritch skritch scribble

sigh "Okay, Sandburg. What are you doing?"

"Nothing, man."

"It's not nothing, you're working up a sweat over that pen and notebook."

"Did you smell that or see it?"

"If it's that important, don't let me distract you, Darwin. What is it, a love note?"

snort "I give those in person. This is far more boring. Especially to you."

"'Especially to me'?" shuffle "Now you've made me curious."

crinkle clutch "Go watch TV, Jim."

"There's nothing interesting on."

"Then go zone on the wall or something."

"Now that really would be boring." scuffle-shove-crinkle-riiiiiip

"Jim! You tore half the page out!"

shift crinkle smooooooth

"What is this anyway?"

Love &

Optimism of

Youth

Adjusting my

Lifestyle to

Torment

You

"It's a poem, or it's supposed to be. An acrostic, okay? Now give it back."

"No offense, Chief, but you're not the world's greatest poet."

"I know, I suck. LOYALTY is an evil word to spell anything with. Besides, I'm tired."

"What's this for?"

siiiiiigh "A dare."

laughter "This what you big bad graduate students do in your spare hours? Who asked for it?"

"No way am I telling you, man."

creak "So, I know them."

"Jim, you're making it hard for me to focus. Go; amuse yourself."

"Give me a page out of that notebook and I'll amuse myself right here."

"What? You think you can do better?" chuckle. rip "Knock yourself out. I can't wait to read yours, Jim. At least I write on a regular basis."

"Funny, Chief."

a long pause, interrupted only by the scritch and scribble of two pens.

"Dang it!" crumple-mash-crinkle

"Sandburg, calm down. It's just a poem. Don't I get to see that version?"

"Not till you show me yours--and maybe not then." scritch. silence "Jim, let me see that paper. It looks kinda short--hey!"

skuffle-thump-shove

"Ow. No need to hit, man; the ribs are already bruised."

"I'm not done yet, alright?"

"Fine. See if I care that your coffee is getting ice cold all the way over here...in the freezer."

"Sandburg..."

laughter

"Alright, I'm done. Now give me my coffee."

clink "Here, man--see? No physical violence necessary." crinkle "Jim, what's this supposed to be?"

Blue eyed
Latchkey kid

Absolutely

Inventively

Reliable

"An acrostic, Sandburg."

"You cheated. We were supposed to use the same word."

pause

"We did, Chief. We did."