Any errors in legal/police procedures that may occur in this story are solely my own. As Dr. McCoy would say, "I’m a fanfic writer, Jim, not a legal expert!"

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Detective Blair Sandburg stalked into Interrogation Room 3 and slammed a thick folder down on the table. He flipped a chair around backward and straddled it.  Without a word he opened the folder and pulled out a stack of 5” by 10” photos. He laid them down one at a time on the table.

Naomi Sandburg stared in horror at the photos of the battered children. She looked up into her son’s rage filled eyes and opened her mouth to speak. At his raised hand she shut her mouth with a snap.

“Not a word, Mother!” Blair ground out. “For once in your life you are going to sit there and listen very carefully to what I have to say! You got that!”

Too stunned to speak Naomi could only give a slight nod. She stared at her son, not sure what had come over him.

Blair stared into his mother’s eyes. “First, you will never again refer to Jim Ellison or any of our other co-workers as pigs or any other derogatory term. Second. You will respect my right to make my own choices in life. And Third. You will apologize, to the people you insulted, for your actions today. You embarrassed me in front of my co-workers and my boss. You also endangered our case. When are you going to get this through your head? I am right where I want to be, with whom I want to be, doing what I want to do and you will not come in here and try and run my life ever again. Do you understand me? Never again, Naomi!” Blair glared at his mother. He picked up one of the pictures and held it in front of her face. “Take a good look, Naomi. This is what Jim and I and the rest of the police have to deal with every day! Look at this! This is a three year old child! She was taken out of her home, right out of her crib. She was raped and beaten to death! And then I had to sit there and watch her parents identify her body.  But you know what, Naomi? We caught the bastard that did this. Jim and I caught him and he will never hurt another baby again! So how dare you come in here and abuse my partner? I will not tolerate it! Do you understand me, Mother?  You will never abuse my partner again, because if you ever do I will cut you out of my life!” Blair shouted.

Naomi’s head dropped to her chest. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she whispered.
“You damn well better be. Now, I think you need to tell that to the rest of the guys out there. Right now!” Blair got up from his chair and stalked out of the interrogation room, leaving his mother slumped in her chair staring at the pictures of battered children.

“You didn’t have to do that, Chief,” Jim said, falling into step with his partner.

Blair looked up into his best friend’s face. “Yes, I did. Maybe now she’ll listen to me. I meant what I said, Jim. I am right where I want to be, doing what I want to do, and most importantly, I with who I want to be with. What we do is important. We make a difference out there. Maybe now, she’ll understand. And if she doesn’t, that’s her own damn problem.”  As the two men entered the elevator they didn’t notice the looks of awe from the rest of the detectives in the bull pen. Everyone knew that if you messed with Sandburg you would have to deal with Ellison, but only a few had heard the darker rumor “Don’t mess with Ellison or you’ll have to deal with Sandburg.”

Finis
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The above picture was created by Sally-Ann. To see more of her art click on the pic. Thanks, Sally, for the use of it. <G>

This story is dedicated to several people.
 To my wonderful husband David for his love and unfailing support. To Kim, who is always patient when I get so caught up in the story that I forget to make dinner. To Jennifer , without her I would never have had the courage to begin writing in the first place. To Ashlee, Bev, Ceri and Cokie, for their consummate beta reading, unending encouragement, and for their friendship. And to Richard Burgi and Garett Maggart, whose portrayal of Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg has warmed our hearts and sparked our imagination.
Without these nine people this story would never have been finished. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. “It’s all about friendship.”