Chapter Text
"One thing I do know is that when you date a woman with a kid, you're not number one anymore. You're second and that's okay with me, you know? That doesn't bother me."
The Sentinel
Megan Connor frowned at the paperwork covering her desk and sighed inaudibly. She hadn't thought it possible that there could be any place with more bureaucracy than back home, but the Yanks seemed to have done the impossible. Why the devil did she have to print out four hard copies of each report when she was also required to submit them online?
"Why the long face, Inspector?"
She glanced up at the soft question and smiled at the large man standing in front of her desk. "Just wishing I was done with the Stevens paperwork, Captain Taggert. And please, call me Megan."
"Only if you'll call me Joel. You know, it seems like every time I turn around the papers on my desk have grown another inch higher." He smiled back at her. "Stevens? Isn't that the undercover case you worked with Jim and Blair?"
Megan nodded.
His lips quirked as though he was trying not to grin. "I heard you and Jim pretended to be a, um, married couple?"
"Yes. I'd say we gave a fairly realistic performance, what with all of the bickering we did." She shot a quick glance at Ellison. He was sitting at his desk alone and seemed intent on something on his computer screen. Megan lowered her voice and looked up at Joel. "Would you mind if I ask you a question?"
He shrugged. "Go ahead."
"Is Sandy all right?" At Joel's frown, she sighed. "Sorry. That didn't come out like I meant it to. It's just, Sandy said something while we were at that house that's been bothering me."
Joel cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "And that would be?"
Lowering her voice even further, Megan replied, "He was talking about dating Katie, the woman who turned out to be Stevens' ex-wife? He said that when you date a woman who has a child that you're second in her eyes and that that was okay with him. And maybe it's true that that's really how he feels, but I had the impression that he was talking about something or someone else."
"And you thought maybe..." He let his words trail off.
"Look, just forget I said anything," she said hurriedly. "After all, I've only been here a short while. And it's none of my business, really." She frowned.
"I can see that it really bothered you, though." Joel gazed at her thoughtfully.
She nodded. "You're right. It did. I just... You should have seen Sandy's face," she said helplessly. "It made me sad to think that he'd be willing to settle for so little, when he deserves so much more. He deserves to know what it feels like to be first in someone's heart." She glanced again at Ellison and then blushed when Taggert followed her gaze.
"Megan," Joel said softly, "it's all right. None of us really understand the two of them and what they mean to each other. Some days I'd lay even money that they're just good friends. Other days, well, I've seen the way they look at each other at times. Who knows? Heck, I don't think even Simon could say and he's closer to them than anyone. Whatever their relationship, it seems to work for them. Isn't that all that counts?"
"I suppose you're right. Doesn't keep me from being concerned about Sandy, though." She smiled slightly.
He nodded. "Blair's one of my favorite people and I'm always happy to hear that someone else is in his corner." He smiled and ambled over to his desk.
Megan reached resolutely for the Stevens' report and began to read, but her mind drifted back to her conversation with Taggert. Sandy and Ellison. Two men so different on the outside that you'd think they wouldn't be able to stand each other and yet they were closer than any friends she'd ever seen. And then there were Ellison's psychic abilities. They were a puzzle and if there was one thing she was good at, it was figuring out puzzles. She'd just have to keep an eye on them until she had her answers. She smiled and buckled down to finish her report.