Several hours later:
"Say Jim, do you think Simon will have remembered to pick us up at the airport? We forgot to call him confirming our arrival time."
"Knowing Simon, I'm sure he called ahead and made sure we got on the plane in one peace."
"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. Well, the luggage claim is over here, it looks like they've started off-loading it. Can you tell if any of our bags have been off-loaded?"
Jim looked but didn't see anything. "Nope, don't see anything. Do you want to wait for the rest of the group?"
"Naw, they're probably right behind us. Let's see if we can get a decent spot at the caracal."
"Okay."
The two made their way over just in time to see a new batch of bags to arrive. Blair's bag was one of the first to go onto the conveyor belt. Jim's were no where in sight. Jim just sighed, realizing it could be quite a wait before they were delivered to him. Several students smiled with sympathy and walked past him with their bags. Jim followed them with his hearing and heard happy exclamations when the students were greeted by their family and friends. Soon, it was Jim and a few other passengers waiting for their bags. Nothing had come out of the machine in while, but the conveyor was still moving. Finally, a few last bags fell out of the exit hole. Jim's were part of the grouping and he smiled at Blair, grateful he wouldn't have to deal with a missing baggage claim.
Jim grabbed the bags and walked over to Blair who had been sitting on the floor waiting for Jim. "Come on, let's go."
Blair looked up at him and nodded. "Okay, just let me get up."
Blair stood up and stretched, trying to remove the kinks from his back. He grabbed his luggage and walked behind Jim, trying to catch up. At the doors to the outside, they heard a familiar bellow. "Ellison! Sandburg! I've been waiting for hours!"
They turned as one, "Simon."
"Sir, the plane was delayed in Texas because of a sudden rain storm. We were stuck on the plane for over 2 hours. Then my bag was the last one off- loaded."
Simon just grinned at his smart mouthed detective and grinned. He chewed on his cigar and looked the two men over. "Well, you two don't seem to be injured. How was the last part of your vacation?"
"Perfect. It was great, relaxing and nothing bad happened. Not even a hangnail!" Blair's voice was full of enthusiasm.
Simon winced. Even after being trapped on a plane for hours the young man had enough energy to run a small country. "That's good Sandburg. Glad to hear that. So, you want to head home?"
Jim and Blair both just looked at Simon. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then. Let's go. The car is over there." He pointed over to the parking lot and started walking.
The car ride was quick and Simon dropped the men off in front of the office building. "Sandburg, your crates arrived two days ago. I dropped them off inside the apartment."
"Cool! Thanks Simon! I have a great present just for you!"
"Whatever, Sandburg. Just don't let it happen again, I am not your post office delivery man." Simon's dry comment just made Blair laugh a bit more.
Jim just shook his head at the two. "Simon, I still have another couple days off. How about you and the rest of the gang have poker night over here? That way Blair and I can hand out all the spoils at once."
"Sounds like a plan. Friday night at 7:00 then? And Blair, you'll have your chili?"
"Sure, Simon. Anything else?"
"Nope, I think that'll do."
"Goodnight, Simon!" "Goodnight, Sir." Blair and Jim thanked their friend for picking them up and dropping them off. Exhausted, the two men walked up the flights of stairs to their apartment and opened the door. Crates were stacked by the couch but Jim chose to ignore it for the time being. All he wanted was a shower and a good night's sleep in his own bed. "Dibs on the first shower." Jim made sure he'd get in first.
"Sure, I'll make us a quick dinner while you shower and then it'll be my turn."
"Sounds like a plan." Jim made for the bathroom. "Blair?"
"Yeah, Jim?"
"This was a great vacation. Even though we had some rough times, I have to say this was one of the best vacations I've been on. Thanks for letting me come."
"Jim. I don't know what to say."
"Speechless? Blair Sandburg's speechless? I guess this had to come sometime."
"Smartass. I had a really good time too. Maybe next time will be completely calm and painless."
Blair and Jim looked at each other, and at the same time snickered, "Yeah, right!" They knew that while they may have vacations in the future, they would never, ever be dull. And the odd thing was, they both looked forward to it. A vacation just wouldn't be a vacation anymore without their special brand of excitement.
"Say Jim, do you think Simon will have remembered to pick us up at the airport? We forgot to call him confirming our arrival time."
"Knowing Simon, I'm sure he called ahead and made sure we got on the plane in one peace."
"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. Well, the luggage claim is over here, it looks like they've started off-loading it. Can you tell if any of our bags have been off-loaded?"
Jim looked but didn't see anything. "Nope, don't see anything. Do you want to wait for the rest of the group?"
"Naw, they're probably right behind us. Let's see if we can get a decent spot at the caracal."
"Okay."
The two made their way over just in time to see a new batch of bags to arrive. Blair's bag was one of the first to go onto the conveyor belt. Jim's were no where in sight. Jim just sighed, realizing it could be quite a wait before they were delivered to him. Several students smiled with sympathy and walked past him with their bags. Jim followed them with his hearing and heard happy exclamations when the students were greeted by their family and friends. Soon, it was Jim and a few other passengers waiting for their bags. Nothing had come out of the machine in while, but the conveyor was still moving. Finally, a few last bags fell out of the exit hole. Jim's were part of the grouping and he smiled at Blair, grateful he wouldn't have to deal with a missing baggage claim.
Jim grabbed the bags and walked over to Blair who had been sitting on the floor waiting for Jim. "Come on, let's go."
Blair looked up at him and nodded. "Okay, just let me get up."
Blair stood up and stretched, trying to remove the kinks from his back. He grabbed his luggage and walked behind Jim, trying to catch up. At the doors to the outside, they heard a familiar bellow. "Ellison! Sandburg! I've been waiting for hours!"
They turned as one, "Simon."
"Sir, the plane was delayed in Texas because of a sudden rain storm. We were stuck on the plane for over 2 hours. Then my bag was the last one off- loaded."
Simon just grinned at his smart mouthed detective and grinned. He chewed on his cigar and looked the two men over. "Well, you two don't seem to be injured. How was the last part of your vacation?"
"Perfect. It was great, relaxing and nothing bad happened. Not even a hangnail!" Blair's voice was full of enthusiasm.
Simon winced. Even after being trapped on a plane for hours the young man had enough energy to run a small country. "That's good Sandburg. Glad to hear that. So, you want to head home?"
Jim and Blair both just looked at Simon. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then. Let's go. The car is over there." He pointed over to the parking lot and started walking.
The car ride was quick and Simon dropped the men off in front of the office building. "Sandburg, your crates arrived two days ago. I dropped them off inside the apartment."
"Cool! Thanks Simon! I have a great present just for you!"
"Whatever, Sandburg. Just don't let it happen again, I am not your post office delivery man." Simon's dry comment just made Blair laugh a bit more.
Jim just shook his head at the two. "Simon, I still have another couple days off. How about you and the rest of the gang have poker night over here? That way Blair and I can hand out all the spoils at once."
"Sounds like a plan. Friday night at 7:00 then? And Blair, you'll have your chili?"
"Sure, Simon. Anything else?"
"Nope, I think that'll do."
"Goodnight, Simon!" "Goodnight, Sir." Blair and Jim thanked their friend for picking them up and dropping them off. Exhausted, the two men walked up the flights of stairs to their apartment and opened the door. Crates were stacked by the couch but Jim chose to ignore it for the time being. All he wanted was a shower and a good night's sleep in his own bed. "Dibs on the first shower." Jim made sure he'd get in first.
"Sure, I'll make us a quick dinner while you shower and then it'll be my turn."
"Sounds like a plan." Jim made for the bathroom. "Blair?"
"Yeah, Jim?"
"This was a great vacation. Even though we had some rough times, I have to say this was one of the best vacations I've been on. Thanks for letting me come."
"Jim. I don't know what to say."
"Speechless? Blair Sandburg's speechless? I guess this had to come sometime."
"Smartass. I had a really good time too. Maybe next time will be completely calm and painless."
Blair and Jim looked at each other, and at the same time snickered, "Yeah, right!" They knew that while they may have vacations in the future, they would never, ever be dull. And the odd thing was, they both looked forward to it. A vacation just wouldn't be a vacation anymore without their special brand of excitement.