Disclaimers: This story is written totally for fun and I ma making no profit. All things Sentinel belong to Petfly.

This is based on something that happened to a boyfriend and I in college. Thanks goes out to TAE for a wonderful Beta job.

Blair Sandburg was enjoying a rare night off from his duties as student/teacher/guide/ and police observer. It was Friday night. Spring break had begun, all of the tests, his own as well as his students, were done, his student's grades had been posted, and he was now free for the next week. In celebration, Blair had taken the night off to shoot pool with Mike, Tony and Allen. The four graduate students were enjoying the rare night of playing.

Tony was deciding what pocket to try for, while Blair watched for the score on the Jag's game. As he looked towards the TV screen in the bar, Blair saw one sight he never thought to see. Jim Ellison, his partner and best friend was entering with Megan Connor. Jim headed for the bar while Megan went to the restrooms.

A tallish, leggy woman with cinnamon hair headed towards Jim from farther down the bar. Jim smiled politely at her as she sat down next to the stool he was watching the game from. While not stumbling drunk, the woman did seem to be over her limit. She sat down next to Jim and smiled up at him. Blair watched as the woman sized up his friend and tried not to laugh out loud.

"Hi. I'm Katherine, but everyone calls me Kate."

"I'm Jim." Jim responded politely, while trying not to encourage her interest.

"I've seen you around the court building haven't I?"

"You might have. I've been there a lot this week, unfortunately." Jim mumbled, thinking about how the DA had totally wasted his week by insisting on his testimony in a case that, when it finally went to trial, was open and shut.

"You must be a lawyer if you hang out at the courthouse. I can't see you as a clerk or a secretary. Maybe a judge." She was now seated quite firmly at Jim's side.

"I could be a criminal. They spend a lot of time down there, too." The large detective tried the intimidating stare that had criminals confessing to things they only ever thought of doing.

"You can't be a criminal or I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you." The woman giggled.

"Actually, ma'am, I'm not allowed to associate with lawyers. They're bad for my business. I`m a cop." Jim smiled at her, hoping that she might back off now. Telling a drunk you were a cop usually got them off you in a rush.

"Really? That is totally cool! I know a lot of lawyers don't like cops, but I do. My dad and brother are both cops so I guess that probably explains it." She giggled again.

The large detective groaned to himself. Great, he was being hit on by an intoxicated giggler.

"That's really nice to know miss, but uh, I'm kind of waiting for someone to meet me here." Jim hoped she would get the somewhat more direct hint and go.

"Really? Your partner?" She asked brightly.

"No, actually I'm waiting for my wife to join me." Jim figured that she had to get lost now.

Blair was almost doubled over at the end of the bar with the pool tables, he was laughing so hard. How anyone could laugh to the point of tears without making a sound, Jim would never know. He would have to ask his partner, right before he killed him.

"Your wife? You aren't wearing a ring. I've always thought that married men ought to wear rings, most women do. Why do you think it is that so many men don't wear rings even after they're married?"

Jim looked at her, not certain what to say. It had never occurred to him when he and his ex-wife Carolyn had been married not to wear a ring. " I really don't know why some men don't. Actually most the men that I know do wear rings, unless it interferes with their job in some way."

Kate spied a woman entering the bar alone. The red head looked around and headed towards Jim.

"Oh hi, you must be Jim's wife!" Kate babbled as if she had known Jim a lifetime instead of fifteen minutes at a bar.

"Yes," Jim leaped in; "this is my wife Megan." He was praying that she would take the hint.

Megan smiled at Jim sweetly, the smile that all of the men in Major Crimes knew to mean the Australian detective was at her worst. "Why yes, I'm Jimmy's honey." She said while practically draping herself over the tall detective.

Blair almost choked. He never knew she had it in her!

"So, have you two been married long?" Kate was totally enthralled by her new friends.

"Newlyweds, actually. Jim answered curtly, hoping the woman would get the idea and leave them alone.

Kate squealed with delight.

Ellison looked over at Blair in response to the guides whispered "Hope your hearing was turned down, Jimmy."

The red headed lawyer kept right on going. "So this is all like, new for you two?"

"Very," the two detectives answered together.

The lawyer laughed. "You even talk in synch. My boy friend and I had talked about maybe getting married. We had been dating for a couple of years though, before we broke up. Jim really doesn`t seem like the waiting type. Did you two have one of those whirlwind-dating things?"

Megan groaned to herself. "You have no idea."

"So how did you guys meet?" Kate was utterly fascinated by these people.

"I was getting off the plane from Australia and Jim was there to meet me." Megan smiled remembering that the incident was somewhat more complicated.

"How did you happen to be picking her up?" Kate was finding this more interesting by the minute.

"My boss told me that the new exchange officer from New South Wales was coming and that no one else was free so I was to accompany him at my diplomatic best." Jim was almost smiling, thinking back. It had been a lot more interesting than any other retrieval he had been sent on.

"You're a cop too?" The woman's eyes were wide.

"Sure am, mate. Work with Jimmy when his partner's busy." Megan answered, smiling. She hadn't had this much fun with her friend in a long time. From the looks in the corner, Blair was enjoying the show.

"Isn't there like some rule about cops working with people they are married to?" Kate quarried.

"Well technically I work for the New South Wales police not Cascade's, and the rule is about being partnered with your spouse. Since Jim and I both have regular partners, Simon, our captain, let's it go when I fill in for Sandy, Jim's normal partner."

"Megs, trust me, that boy is not normal." Megan didn't try to hide her smile at Jim's comment.

From the back of the room a `for sentinels only' whisper was heard. "Oh, the tests you will do to pay for that remark, man!" The ex-ranger cringed.

"You're from Australia aren't you? Like the Steve something or other, um, the crocodile hunter on TV?" The lawyer screeched in surprise. Jim winced, he had been listening to the grad student and his hearing had been up.

"Yep. Even met the croc guy once. I was just starting out on the force and there was a problem with a wild croc so we called for it to be removed and he was the one the state sent. He wasn't on TV then, but he came and got her and took her somewhere safe." Megan grinned as the lawyer looked star struck and Jim looked thoughtful.

"Actually, I'm not surprised, Megan. Although since you and your brothers hunted croc's, why did you have to call in a specialist?" Jim gave one of his once rare smiles.

"Captain didn't want me dealing with it. Said it was too dangerous and there were better uses of my talents." The exchange officer grinned at the detective.

"You've wrestled with Crocodiles? Kate was aghast.

"Only a few times. I was usually spotting them for my brothers but occasionally I would join in if they needed an extra set of hands." The Aussie smiled, faintly home sick.

"Has Jim ever gone with you?" The infatuated lawyer was back on track.

"No. I was only in Australia once when I was with the Rangers. We were there on a training mission." Jim smiled slightly, now it was Megan's turn to be surprised.

" I didn't know you had been in my neck of the world, Jimbo," She answered after a moment.

"You've never taken him to see your home?" Kate was insulted that this wonderful man's wife had treated him so badly.

"Always figured he would scare the crocs away." Megan smiled up at Jim.

"Only if they try to hurt you `Puddins. The detective smiled, putting an arm around his wife.

Jim stood up with Megan. "Listen, we really need to get going, but I noticed the longhaired guy shooting pool has been eyeing you all night."

As they were leaving, the two detectives saw the woman heading towards the police consultant.

"I'm thinking hearing tests at the mall, or maybe smelling tests at that new season and spice place. Taste test at the teas and coffee shop, perhaps." Blair stopped, while Jim entered the bullpen ahead of him.

"Announcement time people listen up!" A familiar rumble sounded. All eyes turned towards Simon Banks, the captain of Major Crimes.

"I have in my hand an envelope sent over by the DA's office. It would appear that one of our own has gotten married without telling any of us. So just as a reminder to all, have all personal mail sent to your attention. Now if Detective and Mrs. Ellison could come and collect their mail." Simon smiled like a shark as Jim and Megan with faces as red as her hair came and got the envelope.

"What's in it?" Inspector Conner asked, looking over his soldier.

"Tickets to the Jags game and an apology for her behavior last night."

"Sounds like fun. I should get dinner out of it though, considering that during our entire marriage, you only took me out once and we didn't get to eat."

"Actually, Megan, the tall detective looked a little nervous, I was wondering if you might be free on Friday night. My dad's getting a business award of some kind and Steven and I are going. I was hoping you might join me?" He looked at her hopefully, trying to imitate Blair's puppy dog eyes.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Megan was taken aback.

"Well, I mean, we are married." Jim smiled. "We could do dinner and the game and see how it goes.'

"I think I would like that, detective." Megan smiled.

The guide watched his Sentinel from the computer and smiled. "Only took him a year to ask her out." He thought to himself. Sending up a prayer that this would work out better than his friend's past romances had, Blair got to work on the reports.

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