By: Denise James
This story is dedicated to the memory of Oreo, a bundle of energy, a tiny creature having a large spirit. Orie died one week after the posting of this story. He will be missed.
Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply, if you sue me you'll get a husband, who likes to eat...a dog, that likes to eat...and a gerbil, that likes to eat....be prepared to take on a part-time job. Think I'm kidding? Listen....You can hear my hubby in the kitchen right now.(grinning)
Oreo, my gerbil, was pretty active the other day. I was watching him/her (can't tell) while she/he played. Then all of a sudden I heard Jim say...."What is that!?!?!?!" Well now you know....Enjoy!
Blair was in the kitchen making a sub sandwich and humming softly when Jim came in.
Jim dropped his keys in the basket and hung up his coat.
Blair glanced nervously in Jim's direction.
Jim was about to greet his friend, when a squeaking noise distracted him. Then he saw it. "What is that?!?!?!" It was more of a demand than a question.
Blair tried to ignore the direction of Jim's gaze, hoping to appear innocent. "What's what?"
"That......that rat."
"Oh Jim, rats are big and scarey. This is a gerbil, as in *attention span of*...."
"What is it doing here?" Jim cut him off.
"Well, you see Jim," Blair laughed nervously, praying that Jim would find some humor in the story. "it's a funny thing...."
Jim cut Blair off again. "It's not staying Chief."
Blair dropped his arms and his gaze went to the floor. "Why do you have to be so narrow minded?" He asked softly.
"Excuse me?" Jim asked, with raised brow.
"You won't even let me finish. I mean, I hadn't even asked if he could stay. You just took it for granted." Blair looked at the sandwich he had made. No longer hungry, he put it in a tupperware container and placed it in the fridge.
Jim watched as the younger man walked into the living room and flopped heavily on the couch, letting out a long sigh of frustration. As Jim came around the couch to sit next to his friend, Blair lend forward, taping on the cage to get the small animal's attention. Ignoring the presence of his Sentinel beside him, Blair removed a small orange stick from a tray that sat on top of the wire cage. The tray contained treats, supplies and food. Blair poked the stick through the bars of the cage, trying to entice the gerbil into taking it.
"What's that?" Jim asked, trying to sound curious and hoping to open up the line of communication that had been shut off.
"A stick." Blair said dryly.
"I see that. Why are you giving the rat...."
Blair glared at Jim.
"I mean gerbil..." Jim smiled weakly in apology. "Why are you giving it a stick?"
Blair returned his attention to the cage and it's prisoner. "They like to chew."
Jim could see that his round of questions were getting him no where. It was time to take drastic measures. He braced himself for what he knew he had to do. "Look Chief. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions without hearing you out."
Blair smiled inwardly. It's a start.....but it could be better. He thought.
Jim continued, as he watched Blair teasing the gerbil with the wooden chew. "Why don't you tell me your little story."
Blair looked at Jim, eyebrows raised in disbelief . "You want to hear my *little story* now? Yeah, right." He snorted to add a little emphasis. Little story indeed. Bite me and my little story.
"Blair, I said I'm sorry.....What do you want me to do?.....Beg?"
Might be nice. Before Blair realized it, his mouth was open and words were spilling out. "Oh would you? Please?" Blair's eyes widened and he quickly clamped his mouth shut. Oops...why can't you keep your mouth shut Sandburg? He was playing right into your hands. But no....you can forget everything now, because of your big mouth!
"Well if that's the way you want to be, then fine." Jim stood up and went towards the stairs. "I'm going to catch a nap before the guys come over to watch the game. I suggest you figure out a way to get rid of the rodent before they get here.
Blair's heart sank. He really had wanted to keep the little guy. After all, he was so cute. Why couldn't Jim see that. I'm sure he would if he would just shut his mouth and open his eyes.
Blair pushed himself off of the couch to set in the floor, closer to the cage. "Sorry little guy. I guess I really blew it, huh? I think you would have liked it here."
From up stairs Jim was listening. I knew it! The kid was going to con me into letting that rat stay. He continued to listen to the conversation taking place below him.
"Well, I really don't know what to do now. I guess I could let you go. I'm sure you could find somewhere to stay. Just stay away from warehouses, okay? They have a tendency to blow up. Then you lose your home and everything."
Jim frowned, remembering that night. The kid didn't talk about it much. Blair hadn't had many worldly possessions and unfortunately, most of it was destroyed that night. He only managed to salvage a few things, just enough to fill up his old Corvair. Jim was just getting to know the kid then and somehow the kid had talked his way into the loft... For a week wasn't it? And that's been.....almost three years ago? Jim smiled. He wouldn't have changed anything if he had the chance. The old saying was true...What goes around comes around. Because of his kindness to Blair, Jim had been blessed many times over.
Blair had thought back on that night and felt a little guilty about his lengthy stay with Jim. But why should I feel guilty? Life is so sweet here. I have a great friend, okay...so I'm treating him like dirt... He threw a quick glance up to Jim's room. Not just a great friend a best friend and a place to call home. He smiled And my dream come true. An actual sentinel to study, teach, and guide. That should be a fair exchange for all of the perks. Blair looked at the gerbil again. Hey, maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe a big rat will do for you like one did for me. He heard the bed springs squeak up stairs. " I mean like Jim did for me." He quickly corrected....knowing that Jim was listening. "Then you'll have someone to talk to and pal around with. You can become the best of friends and if your really lucky...brothers. But most of all..." Blair looked at the gerbil and became very serious. "Most of all, you'll have a home. A place to come back to when the world turns cold and against you. A place that never goes away."
As Jim listened to the words, his young guide said, his heart softened. It was nice to know that Blair felt this way. Then he felt strange. Why was Blair able to talk to a gerbil so openly and not to Jim. "Is the kid right? Am I narrow minded?" The thought hurt him. It's not to late to change. He got up and went back down stairs.
Blair looked up, startled to find Jim standing beside him. "Jim what are you doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep." Jim patted the couch inviting Blair to join him.
Blair accepted the invitation, but still faced the cage.
Jim began to speak. "I thought about what you said about being narrow minded."
Blair looked at Jim. The normally happy go lucky expression was replaced by a mixture of sadness and hurt. "I'm sorry man. I shouldn't have said that. I wasn't thinkin'. I..." Blair's hands were gesturing wildly as he apologized.
Jim grabbed them and held them tightly. "No, you were right. I form a conclusion with out hearing all of the facts,. I should listen more...." Blair was looking down at the larger hands that still held his. They are so warm...Just like Jim.
Jim removed his hold. "Now why don't you tell me how you came into possession of this little fellow.." Jim smiled, as Blair's face lit up.
"Really?"
"Yes really."
With just a matter of a bounce, Blair was facing him. His feet folded beneath him and his whole body in full animation. "Well you see... since the semester is over and everyone will be away on break, they had to find someone to take the animals from the various labs."
Jim's face flinched at the mention of labs.
Blair noticed and laughed. "Oh no Jim, it's nothing like mad scientists putting gerbil parts together." He laughed at the image of a frankenstien gerbil, then he continued. "Anyway, this guy was the last animal to go and professor Williams asked me if I would mind looking after him for a while. I was going to say no, because I knew you would object. But then I saw it. It looked at me with those big dark eyes and I couldn't resist." Blair grinned sheepishly at the older man staring at him. Oh man he's probably pissed. Blair's smile faded leaving pleading blue eyes in its wake. Blair really wanted the gerbil.
"So...What's the ....Gerbils" Jim quickly caught him self. "...name?"
"Oreo." Blair smiled happy that Jim was still showing interest.
"Don't tell me it likes cookies."
"Only the low fat ones....just kidding. No, look at him Jim. He looks like an oreo, see?" Blair moved to open the cage and pulled the gerbil out by it's tail.
"What are you doing?" Jim asked sounding almost panicked.
"I'm pulling him out so you can see him."
Jim edged away from Blair, pushing closer to the arm of the couch. "That's okay. I can see him just fine in there. Put him back, okay?"
Blair laughed. "Come on man, you act like you're scared or something. Come on he won't hurt you. Well he might bite, but it doesn't hurt too bad."
Blair held the gerbil up. "You see, he is the exact same color as an oreo cookie and here...."Blair pointed to the white streak on Oreo's neck. "Is the filling. Thus his name, Oreo."
Jim smiled. It's kinda cute.
Blair saw the expression on Jim's face soften. "Can we keep him?"
Jim looked from the gerbil to Blair. Blair looked so hopeful, so childlike. His voice even sounded like that of a child. Then came the batting of the eyes. No, not the puppy eyes. He knows I can't resist the puppy eyes.
"He won't eat much and he doesn't take up much space. I mean, you'll hardly know he's here. I'll feed him and clean the cage, really, really good. You'll never smell it. I mean it would just be so neat to have a pet, you know?..." Blair kept going on about the advantages of having a pet.
The kid is really laying it on thick here. Seeing how excited Blair was over the possibility of having a pet, Jim couldn't very well say no. He was about to give in when he decided to have a little fun with the kid. "I'll tell you what Junior." For once Jim had Blair's full attention. Jim shook his head and continued." If you can train that thing to fetch the morning paper and my slippers then you can keep him."
Blair lit up. "Yes!....uhhh what? Fetch the paper and slippers, huh? Come on Jim."
"You can keep the rat chief."
"Thanks Jim. Really I mean it! Here, you wanna pet him?"
"No, I don't think so." Jim stood up.
"Come on, he's really soft." Blair stood up and moved closer.
"No really Blair that's okay, why don't you put him back in his cage."
"It's his loft, see two stories. Besides he likes it better out here. See him smiling?" Blair pushed the gerbil near Jim's face.
Jim's eyes grew wide at the approaching rodent.
"Pet him Jim."
"No!" Jim said, moving into the kitchen with Blair following him.
"Come on, hold him." Coaxed Blair.
"No!" Now Jim was moving toward the Bathroom.
It was all Blair could do to contain his laughter. "Jim you're not scared of a little gerbil....are you?"
" Of course not, don't be silly." Jim tried to sound convincing but the whole time his eyes were nervously on the gerbil.
Blair grinned evilly. "Hey Jim.... you wanna kiss the gerbil?" Blair held it out again.
"NO!!!!" Jim yelled. The bathroom door slammed shut, putting a barrier between Jim and the gerbil.
"Hey Jim, did you know that gerbils can squeeze through the smallest of places?" He leaned down and slipped his fingers between the bottom of the door and floor and wiggled his fingers making sure Jim saw them "Oh hey this wouldn't be anything for Oreo. Watch him come under the door Jim."
"I'll kill it Sandburg!" Jim yelled from the other side.
Blair could almost swear he heard the commode seat squeak. He was sure that Jim was standing on it. Blair laughed. He knew it was cruel but he finally had something on the big guy. "Mister Covert Ops, Police detective, Sentinel, was afraid of gerbils, rats and mice. "Well Oreo. This could prove to be a lot of fun." Blair chuckled, feeling pretty mischievous." A few minutes later, Blair was in the living room watching TV, when he heard the Bathroom door open.
"Is he in his cage?" Jim asked some what worriedly.
Blair stroked the gerbils fur. " Oh yeah, the coast is clear. You can come out now. " He lied.
The End
