Disclaimer: Not mine, no money, please don't sue...yadda yadda yadda.

Warnings: very mild slash.

Written for LiveJournal Sentinel Thursday challenge #154 - Three in the morning. Not betaed.

oooOOOooo

The phone shrilled. Blair reached a clumsy hand over and fumbled the receiver off the base, dragged it to his ear. "H'lo?" he mumbled.

"Good morning!" the cheery recorded voice burbled. "This is your six am wake-up call! The weather today in the DC area calls for a mix of sun and clouds, with temperatures reaching the high 70's…" The voice was cut off as Blair hung up the phone. He lay on the bed, contemplating returning to sleep…but it was six am in DC, which meant it was three am in Cascade. He reached over to the nightstand for his cell phone and dialed.

"Chief."

"How'd you know it was me?" Blair asked, punctuating the question with a yawn.

"You've called the last three nights at the same time," Jim replied, the faintest hint of amusement in his voice.

"That's because I know you're up. It's three in the morning, and you're doing your perimeter thing."

"Oh, am I?"

"Yup. Just like you do every night." He could practically see Jim tucking the phone between shoulder and ear and pulling on a pair of sweatpants. "First you go downstairs and head out onto the balcony." He heard the soft snick of the lock, then the whoosh of the sliding glass door opening. He could hear faint city noises in the background. "You always leave the door open, which usually wakes me up. Not that I'm complaining, mind you." Jim chuckled. "What are you looking for out there, anyway?"

"Just checking for anything out of the ordinary. Anything that sounds funny, smells funny…shadowy figures skulking in the alley, things like that. How's the conference going?"

"It's okay…there's a couple of things we might be interested in…some interesting databases we could get searching rights for, some techniques for making report writing form-based and more efficient."

"Well, I'm all for that."

"Yeah, me too," Blair sighed. "I just wish you were down here with me. DC's a great place, lots of cool things to see and do, but it's not as much fun when you're on your own."

"Sorry, babe. Simon only had enough money to send one person, and he figured you'd be the best choice, since you know the most about computers out of all of us."

"Yeah, I know. So, did you find anything?" The city noises had subsided, and Blair heard Jim close the sliding door and engage the lock.

"Nope."

"Okay, so now you usually check all the windows on that side of the loft, make sure they're locked." He heard the quiet rattle as Jim carefully tested each window.

"Okay, Chief, now what?"

"Now you walk over and feel the wood stove, make sure that the fire you had going earlier is cold."

"I didn't have a fire last night. Got home too late."

"Why?"

"Two bodies were found down by the docks. Had to go over the scene with Homicide. Looks like we might have a new case by the time you get home."

"Great," Blair sighed. "Did you eat?"

"Yeah, I had some eggs and some toast, then hit the sack."

"Okay, so by now you're in front of the door. You check the bolt, and then the chain." He heard the metallic rattle of the chain being slid back and forth. "Then you go into the kitchen, checking the appliances to make sure they're all off. Or running. Whichever they're supposed to be." He heard what sounded like a drawer opening. "Okay, now you're checking to make sure that the gun you hid in back of the junk drawer is still there…and that the ammo is still hidden behind the pepper in the cabinet behind you."

"Christ," Jim said, laughing, "I really don't have any secrets from you, do I?"

"Nope," replied Blair smugly. "Now you use your sight to check the skylights over the kitchen, make sure none of them are broken or tampered with." A pause. "Look okay?"

"Yup."

"Okay, next you go down and check that emergency door next to the bathroom, and then you head into my old room…uh, I mean, the office…and check the doors and windows there."

"Chief, I hate to interrupt this clairvoyant thing you've got going, but I've pretty much given up on the office for about six months now," Jim said. "If someone does break in, there are so many boxes and piles of books and papers in there, there's no way we wouldn't hear him – or her. We'd probably even have time to call Simon and get the SWAT team in place."

"Okay, okay, I get the picture," Blair grumbled. "I'll start working on it when I get home."

"So that's it, then? Back to bed?"

Blair grinned. "No, there's one more thing you have to check."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What's that?"

"Me." Blair smiled into the silence, closing his eyes and imagining Jim's face. "Once you come upstairs, you always come around to my side of the bed and put your hand on top of my head. As near as I can tell, you're using your senses to make sure I'm okay." Silence. "So, that's why I've been setting my alarm and calling you every night. So you can tell I'm okay. You should be able to hear my heartbeat, if you listen."

There was a long pause, then Jim exhaled slowly. "Thanks, Chief," he said softly.

"Not a problem," Blair said happily. "Sorry I can't do anything about touch or smell."

"That's okay," Jim sounded slightly sheepish, "I've got smell taken care of."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Brought one of your t-shirts home from the gym."

Blair grinned, then wrinkled his nose. "Okay, that's sweet, but kinda gross, too. Man, I sweat a lot at the gym."

"I know." Now Jim was the one who sounded happy. There was a brief silence, and then Jim spoke. "I miss you," he said quietly.

Blair felt his throat tighten. "I know. I miss you, too. But I'll be home tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know," Jim sighed.

"You're picking me up at the airport, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay…same time tomorrow morning, then."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Love you."

"Love you, too, Chief."