|
"MY SNOWBALL" by Wintersrose Spoilers:
none
Rating
of Story:
G Characters in Story: Blair, Jim, Naomi, William and Steven Warnings: If trips to the mall cause flashbacks, be warned... Plot Blurb: Christmastime is not happiness and cheer for a Sentinel who has to buy a present for his guide... Special Note: This story was written last year (2004) and sent out in my Christmas cards to the Sentinel Angst list members. I thought I would post it here for others to hopefully enjoy as well. Merry Christmas! (And special love to Dreamweaver, Red and Renee!) Feedback:
totally. Yes! Love feedback! Feedback rocks!
Where you say? Oh! zwintersrosez@yahoo.com.
Totally :) “Ba
Humbug.” Jim
Ellison cast daggers at the offending Christmas Lights, the offensive
Christmas Trees, the annoying Christmas Carolers, the piercing Christmas
Bells and the totally too much Christmas Shoppers as they pushed their
way through Westside Mall. Sky
blue eyes, normally light and filled with good humor, grew darker and
more dangerous as Jim made his way through the mall, trying in vain to
find one present for his well-meaning but entirely too into Christmas
roommate, Blair Sandburg. Jim
didn’t so much mind the fact that his partner was into Christmas; he
had, in fact, expected it. The
whole going out to buy a present for him wasn’t necessarily a bad
thing either. But
all the noise, the bother and the attractions were getting to him and
hurting his ears and his eyes and even his nose, when he smelled way too
much peppermint and cinnamon while going by one of the heavily decorated
department stores. Ba
Humbug,
Jim thought again as he made his way to the Science Fair, a store filled
with all kinds of interesting knick-knacks.
He always stood a good chance of finding a good present there;
Blair, every time they visited the store, practically drooled over
everything he saw. Jim knew
what he wanted to get, fortunately, but getting to that store was like
running the obstacle course he went through at the Academy. When
he was about to despair ever getting to the store, he plunged through an
overly large crowd of shoppers looking at a display of trains nearby and
into the store itself. He
blinked past the bright, garish lights of some of the merchandise and
made his way to the back corner. The
last three times they came to the mall, Blair always insisted on coming
to this store. When Blair
thought Jim wasn’t looking and was occupied with looking over some
interesting sailboats made of wood and attached to a pendulum in the
front of the store, the young man made his way to the back corner where
an elaborate display of kaleidoscopes and oscilloscopes and the like and
he always looked at the same kaleidoscope.
It was brilliant in gold and silver, finely polished but with the
design of a wolf etched into the polish.
Blair might not be able to see his own spirit animal but Jim knew
the younger man believed in it – and was fascinated by it as well.
That
made the kaleidoscope perfect, in Jim’s book.
Not only did Blair want it, but it was something the young man
would enjoy. Jim
was grateful to see the kaleidoscope was still there.
It was pricey but the price didn’t matter.
What mattered was the anticipated expression on his roommate’s
face. Yes, Blair would be
beside himself when he saw this gift.
Jim managed a smile as he took it to the counter to pay for it. His
good mood lasted until about five steps out of the store – when
someone barreled right into him and sent him sprawling, causing him to
almost lose the precious gift he’d gotten for his partner.
Jim tucked and curled up, making a smaller target until it was
clear for him to get up again. He
rocked to his feet when the coast was clear and looked around for the
perpetrator. If he had the
time, he would race down the sob and read him the riot act. As
it was, he would barely get back to the loft in time for dinner with
Blair, Blair’s mother, Naomi and Jim’s own father and brother.
He took off at a fast clip, using his enhanced sight to make his
way through the holiday crowds until he finally made it out of the mall.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he got into his blue and white Ford
Pick-up and leaned his head onto the steering wheel for a moment. The
trip back to the loft was quiet and easy – and stop and go the whole
way. He took side streets,
back roads and every shortcut he knew to get home, mostly to avoid the
crowds on the more popular streets.
Finally, after what seemed a small eternity, the tired Sentinel
arrived at his apartment building on It
was climbing out of the truck that he heard the soft mewling sound
coming from nearby. Jim
stopped and listened, extending his hearing with ease in the direction
of the noise and he turned away from the welcoming front door that would
lead to his apartment and followed the sound instead.
The Sentinel sighed and took a deep breath.
Dark eyes filled with concern as he reached into a small garbage
can located in the alley behind the building and pulled out a white
plastic sack that was wiggling weakly. Opening
the bag, Jim withdrew a tiny, pathetic looking white kitten who mewled
again and wiggled again, almost causing Jim to drop it.
Jim sighed as he looked it over and debated what to do.
There was no way he could leave the poor little thing out here.
With a sigh, Jim tucked the little kitten inside his coat, took a
better hold on the bag with Blair’s gift and made his way back inside
the building. “Hey,
Chief,” he called out to his roommate as he entered the loft apartment
on the third floor. The
younger man stood in the kitchen, singing “Good King Wenceslas”
under his breath and stirring something in a pot.
Naomi was telling a story to Jim’s father, William and Steven
was sneaking cookies from a tray sitting on the counter in the kitchen
– and getting his hand smacked by Blair’s spoon. “Coulda
told you that you wouldn’t get away with that, little brother,” Jim
grinned at his brother. “There
you are!” Blair exclaimed. “Where
have you been?” “Fighting
for my life at the mall, Chief,” Jim admitted.
“Be back in a minute.” He
sprinted up the stairs to his bedroom and hid Blair’s gift in his
closet, then unearthed the kitten. It
mewled pathetically and Jim tucked it into his sweater before he
wandered back downstairs and went to the kitchen. “Do
we have any saucers, Chief?” he asked Blair. “Saucers?”
Blair looked up at him. “In
the cupboard there. Why?” “What
about milk?” Jim asked. “Do
we have milk?” Blair
stared at him for a moment, then shrugged and motioned to the
refrigerator. Jim got the
saucer and poured some milk into it, then set it on the floor and took
the bedraggled kitten out of his sweater and set it in front of the
milk. The
little thing stared at the milk for a moment before tentatively reaching
out with a tongue and lapping gently.
Jim breathed a sigh of relief; the thing had been weaned.
Maybe he belonged to someone who would want him back. “Whah?”
Blair had finally learned to talk again.
He’d been stunned senseless at first sight of the cat and now
he was trying to figure out what was going on.
“Where’d you get the cat?” Jim
told him, his voice curt. Naomi
came over to study the little kitten.
She knelt down and patted the little guy on the head and smiled,
then took the saucer of milk. “Jim,
put this in the microwave for ten seconds.” Jim
stared at her like she’d grown horns. “Go
on,” she ordered. “Warm
milk will do him more good than cold milk.
He’s cold all the way through.
Now hurry!” Jim
frowned but followed orders. He
handed the saucer back less than a minute later and Naomi returned it to
the put-out kitten. He went
to the saucer and sniffed again, then began to lap at it, his little
pink tongue drawing the milk in at a fast rate.
Finally, obviously satisfied, the little cat turned away from the
saucer and looked up at the humans before trotting off to explore his
new domain. “Well,
he obviously knows who’s in charge around here,” Blair grinned.
“You have a snowball’s chance in “Snowball!”
Jim was delighted. “That’s
a good name for him, Chief. Thanks.” Blair
cocked an eyebrow at him. “Gee,
Jim, no problem. Glad I
could help.” The
newly named Snowball trotted over to the sofa and presented himself to
William Ellison who reached down and drew the kitten into his lap.
It only took the kitten a few seconds to make himself a bed on
William’s lap, curl up and go to sleep. “Well,
it’s official,” Blair laughed. “Jim,
you’re the proud owner of a bouncing baby fluffball.
Congratulations and Merry Christmas, partner.” Jim
grinned, feeling more relaxed and happy than he had all day.
He went over to sit beside his father and together they watched
the sleeping kitten for a few minutes.
Even Steven joined them, one finger gently stroking the cat’s
fur for a few moments before he went over to help Blair finish the
dinner. All
in all, it was the best Christmas Jim Ellison remembered having in a
very long time. ********MERRY
CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!*********
THE
END
|
|
Disclaimer: The Sentinel is the property of Pet Fly
Production and UPN. We've only borrowed the characters for a few
frolics in the sun. |
